Lok Sabha Question No. 3273 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-21
Subject: Artificial Intelligence to Define Fake News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: T.N. Prathapan, Rajmohan Unnithan, Gaurav Gogoi, K. Muraleedharan, Behanan Benny, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar, Kumbakudi Sudhakaran

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3273 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2023

## ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DEFINE FAKE NEWS

3273.   SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN:

SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:

SHRI K. MURALEEDHARAN:

SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR:

SHRI KUMBAKUDI SUDHAKARAN:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  defined  "fake  news"  in  light  of  Fact-Checking Units (FCUs) under the Ministry taking down information;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to use any form of Artificial Intelligence in
- order to determine fake news; and
- (c) if  so,  the  details  of  criteria  does  the  Government  use  for  choosing  Al  factchecking?

## 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 combat fake news, including the following:
- i) A Fact Check Unit has been set up under Press Information Bureau  under  the  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting  in November, 2019 which takes cognizance of fake news relating to the Central Government both suo-motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and social media. The

Unit  responds  to  the  relevant  queries  with  correct  and  updated information. ii) 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 stress upon Accuracy and Fairness, Pre-publications Verification, distinction between Conjecture, speculation, comment and fact avoiding sensational / provocative headings and justification for the matter printed under them, etc. In  case  of  violation  of  Norms,  as  per  section  14  of  the  Act, after holding an inquiry, PCI may warn, admonish or censure the newspaper,  the  news  agency,  the  editor  or  the  journalist  or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalists as the case may be. iii) For Television, all TV Channels are required to adhere to the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation)  Act,  1995,  including  that  programmes  should  not contain anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths; iv) For digital news publishers, the Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under the IT Act, 2000 on 25 th  February, 2021, which inter alia provides for a Code of Ethics for adherence by digital news publishers.

Appropriate  action  is  taken  by  the  Government  and  the  Press Council in case of violation of the Codes etc.

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