India plans to ban ‘fake’ news on social media platforms
India is planning to ban ‘fake’ news on social media platforms by prohibiting false information identified by authorized agencies from being hosted. Social media platforms must make efforts to ensure users do not share such information.
A draft proposal for new IT rules indicated that the Indian government plans to prohibit social media platforms from hosting any information identified as false.
As reported by Reuters, any information identified as ‘fake or false’ by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) or any other agency authorised for fact-checking by the government would be prohibited if the new rules are adopted. Social media platforms or other ‘online intermediaries’ would be required to ‘make reasonable efforts’ to ensure that their users do not ‘host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share’ information deemed as ‘fake or false’.