New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Centre's notification on setting up a fact-checking unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to identify fake news about the Union government.
The Fact Check Unit was notified on March 20 under Information Technology Rules, 2021, by the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud set aside the March 11 order of the Bombay High Court which had refused to grant interim stay on setting up the FCU under the amended IT Rules to identify fake and false content on social media about the Union government.
"We are of the considered view that questions before the HC deal with core questions on Article 19(1)(a) of the constitution," the bench said.
"We are of the view that notification dated March 20, 2024, after rejection of application of interim relief, needs to be stayed. The challenge to the validity of 3(1)(b)(5) involves serious constitutional question and the impact of the rule on free speech and expression would need to be analysed by the high court," the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.
Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021
The FCU will be the nodal agency to tackle or alert about all fake news or misinformation related to the central government.
The notification came days after the Bombay High Court declined to restrain the Centre from notifying the unit. The petition was filed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and the Editors Guild of India.
In April last year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) promulgated the 2023 Rules, which further amended the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
Under the new rules, if the fact check unit comes across or is informed about any posts that are "fake", "false" or contain "misleading" facts pertaining to the business of the government, it would flag it to the social media intermediaries.
The online intermediaries would then have to take down such content if they wanted to retain their "safe harbour" (legal immunity against third-party content).
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Patna (PTI): Union minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday said he felt "sorry to support" the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, charging it with failure to control the law and order situation in the state.
Paswan, who heads the LJP (Ram Vilas) -- a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, was talking to reporters in Patna before leaving for Gayaji, where he is scheduled to address a rally.
"I have heard claims that the recent spurt in violent crimes is linked to the upcoming assembly polls, and there are attempts to defame this government. Still, it is the responsibility of the administration to keep the law and order situation under control. I feel sorry to support a government which is failing on this count," said the Hajipur MP.
"The situation in the state has become scary. The administrative failure is being blamed on both rank incompetence and connivance with criminals," he added.
Paswan claimed that almost every day, incidents of murder, kidnapping, dacoity and rape are being reported from the state
"Authorities concerned have miserably failed to check the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Law and order have collapsed. The situation is almost out of control. It needs to be checked immediately," he said.
Paswan's comments are expected to give ammunition to the RJD-led opposition, which is attacking the Nitish Kumar government over the spate of crimes that have rocked the state over the last few months.
Elections would be due in the state later this year.