New Delhi6 hours ago
- copy link
symbolic photo
The Editors Guild of India has expressed concern over the new amendment proposal in IT rules. The IT Ministry has introduced an amendment proposal on Wednesday. This will empower the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to fact-check fake news and order social media to remove them.
The Editors Guild says that the decision to remove fake news should not be in the hands of the government alone. This will affect the freedom of the press and suppress genuine criticism.
On the other hand, the Congress has termed the new amendment in the draft IT rules as a ‘covert attack on freedom of speech’.
Know in a systematic manner what are the new amendments and why are there objections to them.
1. What is the amendment proposal in IT Rules?
The news which the Press Information Bureau will consider fake, the media companies will have to delete those news from the internet and other platforms.
2. What rights will PIB get from this amendment proposal?
This will give the right to block, delete or change published news anywhere in the country without any judicial oversight.
3. Why the Editors Guild has objection to the amendment, 03 points
- The Editors Guild of India says that the responsibility of telling whether any news is fake cannot be in the hands of the government alone. This will create a situation like censorship. There are already several laws in place to deal with factually incorrect content.
Editors Guild of India has issued this statement.
- These amendments can be used to curtail the freedom of the press. This is because the Press Information Bureau or fact check agencies can force media companies or online intermediary companies to remove news that may cause trouble to the government.
- This move of the government will stifle legitimate criticism of the government. At the same time, the ability of the press to hold governments accountable will be adversely affected.
4. Had the Editors Guild objected earlier also?
Yes, in March 2021, the Editors Guild of India had raised objections. The Editors Guild of India had said that the provisions of these rules have the potential to impose undue restrictions on the media at large, including the digital news media.
5. What are the rules on Fake News now?
There is no concrete basis for action on fake news. Both Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar have said that accountability should be fixed and there should be a provision of punishment within the purview of the law.