Fake news has replaced the character of discourse from truth-seeking to the loudest voice: CJI
1 year, 3 months ago

Fake news has replaced the character of discourse from truth-seeking to the loudest voice: CJI

The Hindu  

Chief Justice of India D.Y. The Chief Justice said freedom of speech was traditionally considered an essential part of civil rights activism for the fear that government would gag certain kinds of speech. However, he said, “with the advent of troll armies and organised disinformation campaigns across different social media platforms, the fear is that there is an overwhelming barrage of speech that distorts the truth”. Chief Justice Chandrachud said the concept that socio-economically disadvantaged communities place more importance on economic status and access to welfare entitlements than their civil and political rights was wrong. “Privacy, in the digital age, is not just a matter of data protection; it is a fundamental right that we must actively champion… The digital era is a realm where information is both currency and vulnerability… The same technology that facilitates seamless transactions and connects us across distances also opens avenues for potential exploitation,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

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History of this topic

Battling India’s infodemic: Why we urgently need a comprehensive law to counter fake news
6 days, 19 hours ago

Battling India’s infodemic: Why we urgently need a comprehensive law to counter fake news

New Indian Express  

In the present era of instant information, differentiating truth from lies is becoming harder. Despite facing a severe global disinformation crisis, India still lacks a robust legal framework to effectively combat fake news. France and Germany have enacted strict laws that mandate social media platforms to remove fake news within 24 hours or face hefty fines. India’s closest attempt at …

DC Edit | Can govt calibrate free speech on social media?
2 weeks, 3 days ago

DC Edit | Can govt calibrate free speech on social media?

Deccan Chronicle  

Freedom of speech and expression is critical to the very existence of the idea of democracy and India’s Constitution is very clear on it. Some restrictions were subsequently introduced by the government of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on the plea that “the citizen's right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19 has been held …

Vikatan Blocked & Silenced? Editors Guild Slams MeitY’s Crackdown on Press Freedom
1 month ago

Vikatan Blocked & Silenced? Editors Guild Slams MeitY’s Crackdown on Press Freedom

The Hindu  

Published : Feb 20, 2025 20:12 IST - 3 MINS READ The watchdog of India’s press freedom, Editors Guild of India, has strongly condemned the block of the Tamil news portal Vikatan.com, calling it an example of government overreach that threatens press freedom in the country. In a move that has sparked widespread outrage among journalists and free speech advocates, …

Parliamentary proceedings: Need for strengthening laws governing social media and OTT platforms: Ashwini Vaishnaw
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Parliamentary proceedings: Need for strengthening laws governing social media and OTT platforms: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Hindu  

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday emphasised the need to strengthen existing laws governing social media and OTT platforms and build a societal consensus on the issue. He said that due to the absence of such editorial oversight, social media had become a platform for freedom of the press, but it has also become a space …

I&B Minister Calls for Digital Media Accountability
4 months ago

I&B Minister Calls for Digital Media Accountability

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Union minister for information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday stressed the need for accountability in digital media to combat fake news and protect democracy. Speaking at the National Press Day event organised by the Press Council of India, Vaishnaw highlighted the dangers of fake news in eroding trust in media and threatening democratic systems. He criticised algorithms …

National Press Day 2024: 10 things to know about the right to freedom of speech in India
4 months ago

National Press Day 2024: 10 things to know about the right to freedom of speech in India

Firstpost  

National Press Day commemorates the importance of a free and independent press in India. Here are ten fascinating facts about the nuances of the right to freedom of speech and the challenges it faces November 16 is marked as National Press Day in India, commemorating the establishment of the Press Council of India in 1966. In a democratic society like …

Anti-India narrative on social media: Why it’s time for government to counter online negativity
6 months, 1 week ago

Anti-India narrative on social media: Why it’s time for government to counter online negativity

Firstpost  

A wave of anti-India sentiment is flooding social media, distorting our global image. India can no longer afford silence and has to reclaim its narrative on the world stage Lately, social media has evolved into a platform where global narratives are created, shaped, and spread at turbo speed. A recent example is the “What’s wrong with India?” campaign on social …

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone
6 months, 3 weeks ago

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone

Deccan Chronicle  

What can governments do about social media platforms? Amid a developing scenario in which both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments are protesting the treatment being meted out to the CEO of Telegram who is facing the rigour of the law in France, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken an unusual stand to use the social media for boosting its popularity …

Free Speech v. Digital Disinformation: How Is State Intervention In Social Media Content Moderation Being Navigated In USA & India
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Free Speech v. Digital Disinformation: How Is State Intervention In Social Media Content Moderation Being Navigated In USA & India

Live Law  

Recently, the United States Supreme Court in Moody v. NetChoice, LLC refrained from issuing what could have been a landmark judgment on a pivotal issue: whether states can enact laws that limit the power of social media companies to moderate content. This case revolved around the constitutionality of laws enacted by Texas and Florida that aimed to restrict social media …

China’s AI-powered influence operations at India’s doorstep
10 months, 1 week ago

China’s AI-powered influence operations at India’s doorstep

Hindustan Times  

Modes of warfare have undergone several changes since the end of World War II. A recent report by the United States -based social media analytics firm Graphika revealed a pro-Chinese political spam operation promoting a new and distinctive form of video content, which has been operating since 2019 on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. In November …

Digital Revolution in Indian Politics: How BJP Harnessed Social Media
11 months, 1 week ago

Digital Revolution in Indian Politics: How BJP Harnessed Social Media

News 18  

The emergence of digital media—social media, mobile journalism, YouTube, etc—has transformed the political contour in India, with social media platforms becoming the new battleground for electoral campaigns. Among these parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party has proven to be the most successful in harnessing the power of social media to connect with voters and shape public opinion, while the Congress-led Opposition—if …

Fact check: Excessive oversight won't do any good
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Fact check: Excessive oversight won't do any good

Live Mint  

On Thursday, India’s Supreme Court stayed the government’s notification on setting up a fact-checking unit under the Press Information Bureau with the power to flag what it deems as false information related to the central government and its agencies on social media platforms. The top court ruled in favour of social media freedom, saying that such oversight of what people …

The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 | A viral world: countering fake news
1 year, 1 month ago

The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 | A viral world: countering fake news

The Hindu  

How do you counter the Hindutva ecosystem where the common well is being poisoned by disinformation campaigns and bogus claims, which are impacting lives? A panel of journalists comprising Sreenivasan Jain, N. Ram and Pratik Sinha discussed the issue threadbare in a conversation moderated by Ziya Us Salam at a session titled, “A Viral World: Countering Fake News”, at The …

Synthetic Media And Legal Quagmires: Unveiling Deep Fakes In The Indian Legal Context
1 year, 1 month ago

Synthetic Media And Legal Quagmires: Unveiling Deep Fakes In The Indian Legal Context

Live Law  

The media landscape is currently experiencing a profound transformation due to the introduction of AI-generated content, marking an imminent shift in both media production and consumption. Such a scenario could detrimentally affect free speech and expression, especially in nations governed by authoritarian regimes, where minority groups and political dissidents might, as described by one participant, become “collateral damage” of the …

Can’t comment on NewsClick’s China link, respect media freedom: US
1 year, 5 months ago

Can’t comment on NewsClick’s China link, respect media freedom: US

Hindustan Times  

The US government has seen reports of NewsClick’s alleged links to China and is aware of concerns around it though it can’t independently comment on the veracity of those claims. But, as a general principle, the US continues to urge Indian government as well other governments across the world to respect the human rights of journalists, including freedom of expression …

PIB conducts workshop for journalists in Tiruppur
1 year, 6 months ago

PIB conducts workshop for journalists in Tiruppur

The Hindu  

A ‘rural media orientation-cum-workshop’ was conducted under the aegis of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Tiruppur on Friday to orient mediapersons on the approach towards disseminating information about government schemes and initiatives, against the backdrop of the spread of unverified content through social media. M. Annadurai, Additional Director General, Press Information Bureau and Central Bureau of Communication, said the …

Today’s Cache | India’s Personal Data Protection Act weakens RTI; Google hit with copyright lawsuit; Microsoft unbundles Teams to avert fines
1 year, 6 months ago

Today’s Cache | India’s Personal Data Protection Act weakens RTI; Google hit with copyright lawsuit; Microsoft unbundles Teams to avert fines

The Hindu  

India’s Personal Data Protection Act weakens RTI Activists have long warned of dilution of the Right to information and with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, of 2023, the qualified prohibitions to certain right to information to be kept secret have turned into total prohibitions. The lawsuit, alleging copyright violations, was filed by the Danish Media Association a year after …

Concerned Over Targeted Campaign Against Newsclick: PCI, Press Association, DUJ and IWPC
1 year, 7 months ago

Concerned Over Targeted Campaign Against Newsclick: PCI, Press Association, DUJ and IWPC

The Hindu  

Published : Aug 09, 2023 19:29 IST - 2 MINS READ The Press Club of India, Press Association, Delhi Union of Journalists, and Indian Women’s Press Corps have expressed deep concern over the ongoing targeted campaign against the news web portal Newsclick and its founders. “While Newsclick, like other media outlets, critically examines government actions, this does not render it …

India’s shield of privacy should reflect Article 21
1 year, 8 months ago

India’s shield of privacy should reflect Article 21

Live Mint  

The monsoon session of Indian Parliament will likely take up a bill framed in response to the Supreme Court ruling of 24 August 2017 that said privacy is a fundamental right. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, a draft of which was published last year to replace an unwieldy earlier proposal, got Cabinet approval this week as part of the …

World Press Freedom Day | How free speech in India is compromised by government control over platforms: Book excerpt from ‘Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government is Holding Indians Back’ by Subhashish B
1 year, 10 months ago

World Press Freedom Day | How free speech in India is compromised by government control over platforms: Book excerpt from ‘Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government is Holding Indians Back’ by Subhashish B

The Hindu  

Published : May 03, 2023 07:00 IST - 6 MINS READ In December 2004, the Delhi Police arrested Avnish Bajaj, the CEO of Baazee.com, because someone in Kharagpur, West Bengal, tried to sell through the website video copies of two Delhi-based students having sex. Social media companies, a term left vague and expansive, need to take down content within 36 …

New IT Rules provide an evidence-based-fact-checking system for fake news, says Centre
1 year, 11 months ago

New IT Rules provide an evidence-based-fact-checking system for fake news, says Centre

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology termed as “premature” political satirist Kunal Kamra’s plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2023 and said the Rules are in “public interest” and provide an evidence-based-fact-checking system for a mechanism to deal with fake or false or misleading information resulting in riots, mob lynching and other heinous crimes. …

Indian Newspaper Society seeks withdrawal of new rules on fact-checking
1 year, 11 months ago

Indian Newspaper Society seeks withdrawal of new rules on fact-checking

The Hindu  

The Indian Newspaper Society on Wednesday urged the Centre to withdraw the IT Rules amendment notified on April 6, stating that it would have the effect of the government or its designated agency enjoying “absolute” and “arbitrary” power to determine what was fake or not in respect of its own work, and order its takedown from Internet platforms. It also …

Aakar Patel | Fact-checking' by govt & the truth: Sweeping powers to curb dissent?
1 year, 11 months ago

Aakar Patel | Fact-checking' by govt & the truth: Sweeping powers to curb dissent?

Deccan Chronicle  

On April 6, 2023, the Union government passed new rules, allowing it to identify what it thought was any fake or false or misleading content online related to the government. This would be done by a “fact check unit” set up by the government, which would send takedown orders to the social media platforms. The rules would give the government …

In praise of social media and condemnation of its users
1 year, 11 months ago

In praise of social media and condemnation of its users

The Hindu  

In 2000, as a student in Delhi, I had to undertake three-day journeys on Kerala Express travelling between home and university. Of course, we have to be extra vigilant not to be carried away by false and fake news that are abundant on social media. And yet, we are glued to social media as we are entertained by interesting video …

Safe harbour at risk: The Hindu Editorial on the impact of the proposed Digital India Act, 2023
2 years ago

Safe harbour at risk: The Hindu Editorial on the impact of the proposed Digital India Act, 2023

The Hindu  

In formally outlining the crux of the proposed Digital India Act, 2023, the Minister of State, IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, made a case for a robust replacement of the IT Act, 2000, which is somewhat obsolete now. He ominously added a question that the government sought to revisit: “should there be a ‘safe harbour’ at all for all intermediaries?” This acquires …

Reviewing ‘safe harbour’ protections under Digital India bill: MoS Chandrasekhar
2 years ago

Reviewing ‘safe harbour’ protections under Digital India bill: MoS Chandrasekhar

Hindustan Times  

The government is reconsidering “safe harbour” protections for social media companies as it looks to classify them based on the functions they perform, the junior minister for electronics and technology said on Thursday during a consultation meeting for the much-awaited Digital India bill. “There is a need for a different set of rules for each class of intermediaries,” Union minister …

Draft IT Rules have potential to muzzle the press: Digital news consortium DigiPub
2 years, 2 months ago

Draft IT Rules have potential to muzzle the press: Digital news consortium DigiPub

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: DigiPub, a consortium of digital news outlets in the country, has said the proposed amendments to the IT Rules can potentially become a "convenient institutional mechanism to muzzle the press". In a statement on Thursday, DigiPub News India Foundation also said the government should not appropriate powers to legitimise what information or news is real or fake. On …

India: Draft rule proposes ban on news flagged as ‘fake’ by government from online platforms
2 years, 2 months ago

India: Draft rule proposes ban on news flagged as ‘fake’ by government from online platforms

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy India has issued a draft …

India’s top editors’ body slams proposed ‘fake news’ rules
2 years, 2 months ago

India’s top editors’ body slams proposed ‘fake news’ rules

Al Jazeera  

The Editors Guild of India urged the government to scrap the proposed amendment, saying it ‘will result in the censorship of the press’. The Editors Guild of India, India’s premier body for protecting press freedom, has urged the government to reject a proposal to combat fake news on social media, saying it would be akin to censorship. “Determination of fake …

‘Not much change in communication barring speed of circulation’
2 years, 2 months ago

‘Not much change in communication barring speed of circulation’

The Hindu  

Teacher of journalism, B.K. Ravi has said that according to researchers of communication, not much change had been witnessed in the medium of mass communication barring the speed with which information was being circulated. Presiding over the session on ‘Innovations in Media’ on the second day of 86th Akhila Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelana on Saturday, Prof. Ravi said that there …

Why the woes of Indian journalism affect all Indians
2 years, 3 months ago

Why the woes of Indian journalism affect all Indians

The Hindu  

The first week of November includes a day selected by the United Nations as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. Though the Indian Constitution is liberal, its interpretation through legislation has been anything but; harsh omnibus laws infringe and limit liberties, violate human rights and lead to degeneracy among administration and law enforcement agents. Now, from …

DC Edit | Widen ambit of fake news fight
2 years, 7 months ago

DC Edit | Widen ambit of fake news fight

Deccan Chronicle  

One of the fundamental ethics of democracy is the right to freedom of speech and expression, but like all rights, it, too, comes with certain conditions. The government has used exactly these provisions, which, among others, include national security, foreign relations and public order, to ban eight YouTube channels, including one based in Pakistan. It has reasoned that the content …

Op-Ed: What Twitter’s lawsuit against the Indian government could mean for global free expression
2 years, 8 months ago

Op-Ed: What Twitter’s lawsuit against the Indian government could mean for global free expression

LA Times  

Twitter’s lawsuit, filed July 5, seeks judicial review of orders issued under India’s Information Technology Act. Twitter then took the battle for internet freedom to the courts by filing a case against the Indian government’s sweeping, disproportionate censorship orders. Twitter’s lawsuit, filed July 5, seeks judicial review of orders issued under India’s Information Technology Act, enacted in 2000. It is …

Majority of social media users not bothered about absolute facts: Report
2 years, 10 months ago

Majority of social media users not bothered about absolute facts: Report

Hindustan Times  

NEW DELHI: The majority of social media users are not bothered about absolute facts and only confirm or verify online information where the ‘alleged individual events were less important than the overall narrative’, according to a report by the Future of India Foundation titled ‘Politics of Disinformation’. “The key takeaway from the focus group discussions is that not only have …

Setting The Tone: Elon Musk’s Free Speech Debate in The West And Its Relevance in India
2 years, 10 months ago

Setting The Tone: Elon Musk’s Free Speech Debate in The West And Its Relevance in India

News 18  

The expected acquisition of Twitter by billionaire Elon Musk has sparked a debate in the United States over freedom of expression and the role of social media platforms in regulating information flow. Even though Musk has addressed himself as a “free speech absolutist” and made it the core of his agenda after the Twitter takeover, some human rights groups believe …

In Perspective | The only answer to India vs Big Tech on moderation
3 years, 1 month ago

In Perspective | The only answer to India vs Big Tech on moderation

Hindustan Times  

Last week, news agency Reuters reported what it described as a “heated meeting” between Indian government officials and big technology companies Google, Facebook, and Twitter on fake news and content moderation. Quoting unnamed sources, the news agency said India’s information and broadcasting ministry criticised the companies for dragging their feet on fake news, which forced India to point out content …

Is Google facing less scrutiny in India than Facebook?
3 years, 3 months ago

Is Google facing less scrutiny in India than Facebook?

Business Standard  

The Indian subsidiaries of two of the largest digital ad behemoths, Google and Meta Platforms, have reported their results for the last fiscal. Meta’s Indian unit Facebook India Online Services saw its gross advertising revenue grow 41% to Rs 9,321 crore as the pandemic boosted the growth for digital ad platforms. Digital marketing has become a centrepiece in the growth …

India using cyber-volunteers to silence critical voices: Report
3 years, 3 months ago

India using cyber-volunteers to silence critical voices: Report

Al Jazeera  

The group that ran the Hindutva Watch handle on Twitter – which flagged instances of violence and bigotry from Hindu nationalist groups – had long been accustomed to being abused and trolled for content critical of the Indian government. Citizen volunteers, or “good Samaritans”, are required to maintain “strict confidentiality”, and report child sex abuse material, as well as online …

India: Terror cases over social media posts on Tripura violence
3 years, 4 months ago

India: Terror cases over social media posts on Tripura violence

Al Jazeera  

Police charge more than 100 social media accounts under UAPA and other laws for posting on religious violence in the northeastern state. The social media accounts are accused of sharing “fake news” following attacks on several mosques in Tripura last month by alleged members of Hindu right-wing groups. Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s main opposition party, the Congress, said the …

Facebook failed to curb misinformation, hate speech in India, leaked documents show
3 years, 4 months ago

Facebook failed to curb misinformation, hate speech in India, leaked documents show

ABC  

Facebook has been selective in curbing hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory posts in India, particularly anti-Muslim content, according to leaked documents obtained by US media. Key points: The leaked files show Facebook has been aware for years of hate speech on social media that was stoking violence in India In some cases, Facebook's own algorithm appeared to have "intensified" hate …

Facebook dithered in curbing divisive user content in India
3 years, 4 months ago

Facebook dithered in curbing divisive user content in India

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI, India — Facebook in India has been selective in curbing hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory posts, particularly anti-Muslim content, according to leaked documents obtained by The Associated Press, even as the internet giant’s own employees cast doubt over its motivations and interests. The leaked documents include a trove of internal company reports on hate speech and misinformation in …

New IT Rules prevent fake news, misuse of freedom of press: Centre tells HC
3 years, 6 months ago

New IT Rules prevent fake news, misuse of freedom of press: Centre tells HC

India TV News  

The Centre has defended the legality of the new Information Technology Rules before the Delhi High Court, saying that the rules seek to “prevent the misuse of the freedom of press” and protect the citizens from fake news in digital media space which used to be largely unregulated. The Centre, in its counter affidavit filed on a challenge to the …

Big Tech Is Bending to the Indian Government’s Will
3 years, 7 months ago

Big Tech Is Bending to the Indian Government’s Will

Wired  

As Indian democracy crumbles day upon day under the grasp of Narendra Modi, social media platforms have functioned in lieu of a free press. As Reporters Without Borders recently noted, journalists in India “risk dismissal if they criticize the government.” Since Modi took control in 2014, India’s ranking on the World Press Freedom Index has fallen every year, plateauing at …

'Effort to Divert Attention': Centre on Twitter's Concerns Over Freedom of Speech in India
3 years, 7 months ago

'Effort to Divert Attention': Centre on Twitter's Concerns Over Freedom of Speech in India

News 18  

The Government of India has said that Twitter’s statement expressing concerns over freedom of expression and safety of its employees in India was an effort to divert attention from its non-compliance with Indian laws at that stage. Twitter in a statement on May 27, in the midst of a tussle with the government, had expressed concerns over the potential threat …

India internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy
3 years, 8 months ago

India internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — It began in February with a tweet by pop star Rihanna that sparked widespread condemnation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of massive farmer protests near the capital, souring an already troubled relationship between the government and Twitter. “India’s plans for the internet appear to be like that of a closed ecosystem like China,” said Raheel …

India’s internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy
3 years, 8 months ago

India’s internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy

Al Jazeera  

Law puts digital platforms such as Twitter and Facebook under direct government oversight, but critics worry it may lead to outright censorship. ‘Closed ecosystem like China’ “India’s plans for the internet appear to be like that of a closed ecosystem like China,” said Raheel Khursheed, co-founder of Laminar Global and Twitter India’s former head of politics, policy and government. “Twitter’s …

Election & Voting Processes Stand Threatened By Social Media Manipulation, Says Supreme Court
3 years, 8 months ago

Election & Voting Processes Stand Threatened By Social Media Manipulation, Says Supreme Court

Live Law  

Election and voting processes stand threatened by social media manipulation, the Supreme Court remarked in the judgment delivered on Thursday in Facebook vs. Delhi Assembly case.Entities like Facebook have to remain accountable to those who entrust them with such power. Election and voting processes stand threatened by social media manipulation, the Supreme Court remarked in the judgment delivered on Thursday …

Twitter is now legally responsible for any user’s tweets in India, government rules
3 years, 8 months ago

Twitter is now legally responsible for any user’s tweets in India, government rules

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. India’s IT ministry told the New Delhi High Court that Twitter’s non-compliance comes after a user complained …

Book Review | Free speech, fake news & the Indian press
3 years, 8 months ago

Book Review | Free speech, fake news & the Indian press

Deccan Chronicle  

Incarcerations, FIRs, dismissals, spiking of stories, sensationalism, fake “breaking news” and the compulsion to not miss a trick in the rat race against the Joneses. More importantly, while the US first amendment makes these freedoms an absolute condition for all lawmaking, the first amendment of the Indian Constitution restricts the scope of this freedom. The Bihar government found it objectionable …

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