Lok Sabha Question No. 2113 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Scheme to Control
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Adala Prabhakara Reddy, Kuruva Gorantla Madhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2113 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2022

## SCHEME TO CONTROL FAKE NEWS

## 2113. SHRI ADALA PRABHAKARA REDDY: SHRI KURUVA GORANTLA MADHAV:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  schemes  to  control  rising  fake  news  in  the  nation  and  if  not,  the
- reasons therefor;
- (b) the  details  and  the  number of individuals booked under law for spreading fake news during the last year; and
- (c) the  details  and  the  number  of  individuals  within  the  Government  booked  for spreading fake news during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a) to (c) The Government has statutory and institutional mechanisms in place to control fake news including the following:
- (i) For  Print  Media,  Press  Council  of  India  (PCI),  a  statutory autonomous body set up under the Press Council Act, 1978, has framed  'Norms  of  Journalistic  Conduct'  for  adherence  by  the media.  These  norms  inter  alia  emphasize  the  principles  of accuracy and fairness & Pre-publication verification. The

Council  takes  cognizance,  suo-motu  or  on  complaints,  of  the contents in print media which are in violation of the 'Norms of Journalistic Conduct'. As per section 14 of the Act, the Council, after  holding  an  inquiry,  may  warn,  admonish  or  censure  the newspaper,  the  news  agency,  the  editor  or  the  journalist  or disapprove  the  conduct  of  the  editor  or  the  journalist,  as  the case may be.

During  the  year  2021,  PCI  has  censured  5  newspapers  for publishing content relating to fake news.

- (ii) For  Electronic  Media,  all  television  channels  are  required  to adhere  to  the  Programme  Code  under  the  Cable  TV  Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 which inter alia provides that no content which contains anything obscene, defamatory, false and suggestive  innuendos  and  half-truths  is  broadcast.  The  Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021, has been notified on 17.6.2021 which provides for a three tier grievance redressal mechanism to look into the complaints relating to the violation of the Programme Code by the TV channels. Appropriate action is taken where violation of Programme Code is found.

Advisories to all private satellite TV channels has been issued by  the  Central  Government  on  25.02.2020  and  23.04.2022  for adherence to the Programme Code.

- (iii) For  news  on  digital  media,  the  Government  has  notified  the Information  Technology  (Intermediary  Guidelines  and  Digital Media  Ethics  Code)  Rule,  2021  under  Information  Technology

Act,  2000  which  inter-alia  provides  for  adherence  of  Code  of Ethics by publishers of news on digital media and also a three tier  mechanism  for  redressal  of  grievance  relating  to  Code  of Ethics by them.

As  per  the  provision  of  Information  Technology      (Intermediary Guidelines  and  Digital  Media  Ethics  Code)  Rule,  2021,  Ministry issues directions for blocking of content of digital news publishers  covered  under  the  provisions  of  Section  69  A  of Information Technology Act, 2000. From December 2021, Ministry has issued direction for blocking of 104 YouTube news channels, 45 videos and 25 social media accounts/ posts/ Apps/ Websites of digital news publishers under these provisions.

A Fact Check Unit setup under Press Information Bureau of this Ministry in November, 2019 takes cognizance of fake news/ misinformation  both suo-motu  and  by  way  of  queries  sent  by citizens on its portal or through e-mail, whatsapp, and responds to the relevant queries with correct information. It also maintains a twitter account @PIBFactcheck and posts cases of fake news, being busted, on the same on regular basis. PIB Fact Check Unit has a Website Portal - https://factcheck.pib.gov.in/ for reporting of fake news and for fact-checking of information by the citizens.

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