Centre notifies fact-checking unit to 'flag fake news'

NT Bureau, Agencies

New Delhi: The Central government on Wednesday notified a factchecking body under the Press Information Bureau that has the power to flag any information about the Union government and its workings as “fake”.

This came hours after stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and the Editors Guild of India moved the Supreme Court seeking an interim stay on the formation of the fact-checking unit, reported Live Law.

The petitioners have argued that the formation of such a unit will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and expression in the country. The Supreme Court will hear the matter on Thursday.

In April last year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to regulate news that pertains to the Union government.