Government alone cannot determine fake news: Editors Guild on Amendment to IT Rules
2 years, 2 months ago

Government alone cannot determine fake news: Editors Guild on Amendment to IT Rules

India TV News  

Government alone cannot determine fake news: Editors Guild on Amendment to IT Rules The Guild urged the central government to expunge this new amendment, and to initiate meaningful consultations with press bodies, media organisations and other stakeholders, on the regulatory framework for digital media, so as to not undermine press freedom. The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday urged the government to “expunge” the draft amendment to the IT Rules asking social media companies to take down news articles that have been deemed "fake" by the Press Information Bureau. "The Guild urges the Ministry to expunge this new amendment, and to initiate meaningful consultations with press bodies, media organisations and other stakeholders, on the regulatory framework for digital media, so as to not undermine press freedom," a statement issued by the Editors Guild of India said. "At the outset, determination of fake news cannot be in the sole hands of the government and will result in the censorship of the press," the Guild said in a statement, expressing "deep concern" over the draft amendment to the Information Technology Rules.

Media Information Fake News Fake Rules Press Amendment It Rules Pib Digital Media Editors Guild  rules  press  editors  guild  fake  media  information  digital  amendment  determine  central

History of this topic

Battling India’s infodemic: Why we urgently need a comprehensive law to counter fake news
2 weeks, 1 day 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 …

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

Self-regulation the only way to avoid govt interference in news, panel told
4 months, 1 week ago

Self-regulation the only way to avoid govt interference in news, panel told

Hindustan Times  

Self-regulation is the only way to avoid government interference in regulating news media, two industry bodies representing news channels, magazines and newspapers told the parliamentary standing committee on communication and information technology on Thursday. Self-regulation the only way to avoid govt interference in news, panel told The Editors Guild of India and the News Broadcasters & Digital Association, along with …

Bangladesh Editors' Council slams interim government's move to revoke 167 press accreditations
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Bangladesh Editors' Council slams interim government's move to revoke 167 press accreditations

New Indian Express  

DHAKA: The Editors' Council of Bangladesh has condemned a decision by the interim government to cancel press accreditations for 167 journalists and said that the action threatens press freedom and undermines a democratic environment by risking censorship and creating a restrictive media atmosphere. The Press Information Department has revoked the accreditation cards of 167 journalists in three phases, including many …

Parliamentary panel to review mechanism to curb fake news
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Parliamentary panel to review mechanism to curb fake news

The Hindu  

Two months after the Bombay High Court struck down a key provision of the amended Information Technology Rules, 2021, which empowered the government to identify “fake news” on social media platforms through its Fact Check Unit, the Parliamentary Panel on Communications and Information Technology, has called for a review of mechanism to curb fake news. The amendment to Rule 3 …

House panel summons two key media bodies over curbing fake news
4 months, 2 weeks ago

House panel summons two key media bodies over curbing fake news

Hindustan Times  

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, led by BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, has called representatives of two key media bodies to discuss mechanisms for curbing fake news. The panel has prioritised addressing fake news, particularly its spread on social media platforms, amid growing concerns from policymakers and elected representatives. “The panel will conduct a comprehensive review of existing mechanisms to …

Media bodies voice concern over draft broadcasting services bill
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Media bodies voice concern over draft broadcasting services bill

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Media bodies on Thursday voiced concern on the provisions of the draft broadcasting services bill and contended that it sought to create a multi-layered legal system to regulate and censor content in the digital space. "The Broadcasting Services Bill is one more step in creating a multi-layered legal system to regulate, control, monitor and censor content in the …

Editors Guild writes to Rahul Gandhi, seeks support in raising issues of press freedom in Parliament
8 months, 1 week ago

Editors Guild writes to Rahul Gandhi, seeks support in raising issues of press freedom in Parliament

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India on Saturday sought Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's support in raising issues of press freedom and right to information in Parliament and claimed the government has taken several legislative steps to regulate and control the media. The Guild also flagged concerns about the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, Broadcast Services Regulation Bill, Press and …

Journalist associations, digital rights groups demand withdrawal of laws aimed at ‘curbing freedom of press’
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Journalist associations, digital rights groups demand withdrawal of laws aimed at ‘curbing freedom of press’

The Hindu  

Several journalist associations and digital rights organisations have endorsed a resolution to intensify their demand for the withdrawal of laws that they said were “aimed at curbing the freedom of press”. As stated in the resolution, passed at a meeting held on May 28, 2024, the provisions under laws such as the proposed Broadcast Services Bill, 2023, Digital Personal Data …

Fact check: Excessive oversight won't do any good
1 year 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 …

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 …

Do the amended IT Rules only apply to social media and not print, asks Bombay HC
1 year, 8 months ago

Do the amended IT Rules only apply to social media and not print, asks Bombay HC

The Hindu  

The Bombay High Court on Thursday while hearing arguments on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of amended IT Rules asked whether the Rules only apply to social media intermediaries and not to print media even if the same content is available on both the platforms. A Division Bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale was hearing a bunch of …

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 …

Draconian rules: The Hindu Editorial on the impact of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023
1 year, 11 months ago

Draconian rules: The Hindu Editorial on the impact of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023

The Hindu  

April 10, 2023 12:20 am | Updated 08:39 am IST With the advent of social media — the product of the evolution of the Internet into a sphere of communication that allows for relatively unfettered user-generated content — the problem of misinformation has taken a grotesque form. In the IT Amendment Rules, 2023, the Union government has added a provision …

Sweeping powers to PIB amounts to censorship: CPI(M)
1 year, 11 months ago

Sweeping powers to PIB amounts to censorship: CPI(M)

The Hindu  

The CPI has attacked the Narendra Modi government for amending the IT Rules 2021, giving “sweeping powers” to the government’s public relation outreach department — Press Information Bureau, to fact-check information about the Central government on social media platforms and termed it a form of “censorship”. As per the changes notified on Thursday through the Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2023, …

Minister reacts to Yechury's ‘draconian’ tweet over IT rules for ‘fake’ news
1 year, 11 months ago

Minister reacts to Yechury's ‘draconian’ tweet over IT rules for ‘fake’ news

Hindustan Times  

Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday once again dismissed concerns that the amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, would lead to censorship and lashed out at CPI general secretary Sitaram Yechury for terming it a “draconian and anti-democratic” move. “Modi govt's Executive amendments to the Rules of the IT Act is a direct attack …

‘Disturbed’ by recently amended IT rules: Editors Guild of India
1 year, 11 months ago

‘Disturbed’ by recently amended IT rules: Editors Guild of India

Hindustan Times  

The Editors Guild of India has said it is “disturbed” by recently amended Information Technology rules, which have been notified by the Centre, claiming, it will give the government “sweeping powers.” Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT on Thursday notified amendments to the contentious IT rules, 2021, inserting …

'Govt Has Given Itself Absolute Power': Editor's Guild on New IT Amendment Rules
1 year, 11 months ago

'Govt Has Given Itself Absolute Power': Editor's Guild on New IT Amendment Rules

The Quint  

In a statement issued on 7 April, the Editor's Guild of India — one of India's leading body of news editors dedicated to "protecting press freedom" in the country — has expressed concerns over the new IT Amendment Rules notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on 6 April. "The government has given itself absolute power to determine …

Online platforms must take down PIB-flagged ‘fake news’
1 year, 11 months ago

Online platforms must take down PIB-flagged ‘fake news’

The Hindu  

Social media platforms and other intermediaries on the Internet are now required to make sure that “fake news” articles about the Union Government, which have been declared as such by the Press Information Bureau, are taken down from their platforms when they are alerted to such posts. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar outlined a defence …

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 …

Govt alone cannot determine fake news, says Editors Guild on amendment to IT Law
2 years, 2 months ago

Govt alone cannot determine fake news, says Editors Guild on amendment to IT Law

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday urged the government to “expunge” the draft amendment to the IT Rules asking social media companies to take down news articles that have been deemed "fake" by the Press Information Bureau. "At the outset, determination of fake news cannot be in the sole hands of the government and will result in …

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 …

Centre alone cannot determine fake news, says Editors Guild
2 years, 2 months ago

Centre alone cannot determine fake news, says Editors Guild

The Hindu  

Expressing concern over a draft amendment made to the Information Technology Rules-2021 by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, which empowers the Press Information Bureau to “fact-check” contents and direct social media platforms to take down anything deemed “fake”, the Editors Guild of India on Wednesday sought its removal. The Guild also urged the Ministry to initiate consultations with press …

News marked false by PIB to be taken down: draft rule
2 years, 2 months ago

News marked false by PIB to be taken down: draft rule

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Tuesday proposed a draft rule that would require social media platforms to take down content that has been “fact-checked” by the Press Information Bureau’s fact check unit as false. Rule 3 of the amended version of the Information Technology Rules, 2021 state that platforms “shall make reasonable efforts to cause the user …

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 …

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 …

Trend of govt. agencies harassing independent media must stop: Editors Guild
3 years, 6 months ago

Trend of govt. agencies harassing independent media must stop: Editors Guild

The Hindu  

The Editors Guild of India on Saturday expressed concern over Income Tax department officials seizing journalists’ data from the offices of news website Newslaundry on Friday. “It is learnt that the I-T team made clones of Sekhri’s mobile and laptop, as well as some other office machines, and no hash value was given to them. This is clearly beyond the …

IT Rules framed to regulate ‘unlawful’ content on digital media, OTT platforms: Centre tells Madras HC
3 years, 6 months ago

IT Rules framed to regulate ‘unlawful’ content on digital media, OTT platforms: Centre tells Madras HC

The Hindu  

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Friday told the Madras High Court that it had “lawfully” notified the Information Technology Rules of 2021 to regulate publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content on Over the Top platforms from publishing “unlawful” content. The Rules have been clearly enacted bona fide …

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 …

IT Rules 2021 Deter Fake News; No Chilling Effect On Free Speech : Centre Tells Delhi High Court
3 years, 6 months ago

IT Rules 2021 Deter Fake News; No Chilling Effect On Free Speech : Centre Tells Delhi High Court

Live Law  

In an affidavit filed before the Delhi High Court, the Central Government has stated that the IT Rules 2021, notified earlier this year for regulation of online news and social media platforms, do not muffle the right to free speech in the country. It is urged therein that the pleas challenging the maintainability of the IT Rules, 2021 in terms …

Editors Guild urges PM Modi to put digital media rules on hold
4 years ago

Editors Guild urges PM Modi to put digital media rules on hold

Hindustan Times  

The Editors Guild of India has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put in abeyance the new digital media rules and criticised the three-tier mechanism to enforce the code of ethics, saying it was “regressive” and would be “adverse to the freedom of the press”. The letter has also been addressed to Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad …

With new rules for digital media, the noose tightens
4 years ago

With new rules for digital media, the noose tightens

The Hindu  

IN a wide-ranging move aimed at controlling content on the Internet, the Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Information and Broadcasting issued the Information Technology Rules, 2021, that purport to regulate digital media, social media and over the top platforms. The rules, it said, are aimed at addressing concerns about the “lack of transparency, accountability and rights of users …

Power to Administer New Digital Media Rules Not with States, UTs: Centre
4 years ago

Power to Administer New Digital Media Rules Not with States, UTs: Centre

News 18  

The Centre has told all states and union territories that the power to administer the new rules on digital media publications has not been delegated to them, a day after the Union government overturned a Manipur district magistrate's order issued under the recently implemented guidelines. The provisions under the new rules relate to the code of ethics for digital news …

Power to administer new digital media rules not with states, Centre clarifies
4 years ago

Power to administer new digital media rules not with states, Centre clarifies

India TV News  

The Centre on Wednesday clarified that the power to administer the new rules on digital media publications has not been delegated to them. The provisions under the new rules relate to the code of ethics for digital news publishers, setting up of a grievance redressal system and the requirement of disclosure of information to Centre, the ministry said, adding that …

New rules for social media, OTT platforms to curb fake news, says Union minister Prakash Javadekar
4 years, 1 month ago

New rules for social media, OTT platforms to curb fake news, says Union minister Prakash Javadekar

India Today  

The Centre announced new rules to regulate online news and OTT platforms to curb the spread of fake news, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar has said. In an exclusive interview to India Today TV on Friday, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the tightening of rules governing social media and streaming companies was done to stop fake news. …

Social Media Sites Must Remove Content in 36 Hours of Order: Govt in Draft Digital, OTT Platform Rules
4 years, 1 month ago

Social Media Sites Must Remove Content in 36 Hours of Order: Govt in Draft Digital, OTT Platform Rules

News 18  

The central government has finalised the rules to regulate internet-based businesses and organisations – social media companies, OTT streaming services, and digital news outlets, among others – as it plans to introduce a sea change in legislation to assert more control over powerful Big Tech firms. Under the new Information Technology Rules, 2021, the government plans to mandate social media …

Govt announces new rules to regulate news, digital content; says double standards unacceptable | 10 points
4 years, 1 month ago

Govt announces new rules to regulate news, digital content; says double standards unacceptable | 10 points

India Today  

The Centre on Thursday announced new guidelines to regulate digital content, including social media and over-the-top streaming services, to curb the 'misuse' of these platforms. Saying that concerns have been raised about rampant abuse of social media platforms, the spread of fake news, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the ministry prepared a draft in December 2018. This should be …

Editors Guild urges PCI to withdraw advisory on publication of foreign content by Indian media
4 years, 4 months ago

Editors Guild urges PCI to withdraw advisory on publication of foreign content by Indian media

Firstpost  

In a statement, the guild said it is perturbed by the ‘unprovoked’ advisory issued by the Press Council of India on 25 November to the media New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India has urged the Press Council of India to withdraw its “ominous-sounding” advisory cautioning against “unregulated circulation of the foreign content”, saying it has disturbing implications. In a …

'Disturbing': Editors Guild Urges PCI to Withdraw Advisory on Publication of News from Foreign Wires
4 years, 4 months ago

'Disturbing': Editors Guild Urges PCI to Withdraw Advisory on Publication of News from Foreign Wires

News 18  

The Editors Guild of India has urged the Press Council of India to withdraw its "ominous-sounding" advisory cautioning against "unregulated circulation of the foreign content", saying it has disturbing implications. In a statement, the guild said it is perturbed by the "unprovoked" advisory issued by the Press Council of India on November 25 to the media. "Through this advisory, it …

India to regulate online news and social media sites
4 years, 4 months ago

India to regulate online news and social media sites

Al Jazeera  

New order brings online news portals and content providers such as Netflix under the ambit of the gov’t in a first step to regulate digital media. India’s government has issued an order bringing the regulation of online news portals and content providers such as Netflix under the authority of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a first step to …

Fake News More Dangerous Than Paid News, Says I&B Minister Javadekar; Calls for Self Regulation
4 years, 7 months ago

Fake News More Dangerous Than Paid News, Says I&B Minister Javadekar; Calls for Self Regulation

News 18  

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday said fake news is more dangerous than paid news and called for self regulation while publishing digital content to curb the menace. Fake news is more dangerous than paid news and we will have to be prepared to face it,” Javadekar said. It happens at the speed of light.” He said that …

Countering Fake News- A Critical Appraisal Of Social Media Regulatory Laws
4 years, 9 months ago

Countering Fake News- A Critical Appraisal Of Social Media Regulatory Laws

Live Law  

Fake news is essentially information created from nothing with the aim to push a particular agenda; a practice which in today's world is at the dearth of most social issues. Social media, in an attempt to democratize the information generation and transmission sphere, has invariably made it easier to spread unverified and argumentative pieces; situating a new sphere for dubious …

Editors Guild condemns police action against journalists in Gujarat, Delhi
4 years, 10 months ago

Editors Guild condemns police action against journalists in Gujarat, Delhi

The Hindu  

The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday condemned two recent incidents of police action against journalists in Gujarat and Delhi. The first incident the Guild expressed concern over was the Gujarat police booking and detaining Dhaval Patel, editor and owner of Gujarati news portal ‘ Face of Nation ’, for sedition on May 12. “The second instance of egregious and …

Coronavirus Outbreak: Editors Guild of India criticises govt stance on news coverage, objects to UP cops' action against The Wire
4 years, 11 months ago

Coronavirus Outbreak: Editors Guild of India criticises govt stance on news coverage, objects to UP cops' action against The Wire

Firstpost  

In a statement published on Twitter, the Editors Guild of India stated that it finds the advice of the Supreme Court ‘gratuitous and unnecessary.’ The Editors Guild of India on Thursday said it was “deeply perturbed” over the government’s statement in Supreme Court earlier this week, and questioned the Centre’s attempt in the apex court to blame the media for …

Can an AI fact-checker solve India’s fake news problem?
5 years, 3 months ago

Can an AI fact-checker solve India’s fake news problem?

Salon  

When a group of five men offered a cookie to a young girl in a village in the western Indian state of Maharashtra last July, they didn’t know the gesture would cost them their lives. “The NLP-based approach will not work because the amount of text you usually have, especially when the misinformation is centered around an image or a …

Firstpost Editor's Picks: Fighting fake news, criticism of MS Dhoni, best Pixar movies; today's must-read stories
5 years, 9 months ago

Firstpost Editor's Picks: Fighting fake news, criticism of MS Dhoni, best Pixar movies; today's must-read stories

Firstpost  

The direct and disastrous consequences of such content, circulated by social media in India, cannot be downplayed nor dismissed arbitrarily. Combating fake news: MEITY should allow legal-flexibility based on social media platforms over one-size-fits-all regulatory approach The direct and disastrous consequences of such content, circulated by social media in India, cannot be downplayed nor dismissed arbitrarily. Criticism of MS Dhoni …

India journalists decry ‘escalating attacks’ on press freedom
5 years, 9 months ago

India journalists decry ‘escalating attacks’ on press freedom

Al Jazeera  

Recent arrests appear to follow a pattern of attacks on press freedom since Modi’s ascension to power, journalists say. On June 9, a day after the arrests of the three journalists, the Editors Guild of India, India’s premier body for protecting press freedom, termed the act “an effort to intimidate the press, and stifle press freedom”. “At this particular moment, …

Discover Related