Centre Amends IT Rules, Govt-Appointed Fact-Checkers To Decide On 'Fake, Misleading' News
The government has once again notified new Information Technology rules to curb the spread of fake and misleading news.
The Centre has notified new norms to tackle fake and misleading news related to government business under the Information and Technology Rules, 2021. The new rules "make it obligatory on the intermediaries to not to publish, share or host fake, false or misleading information in respect of any business of the Central Government."
"These fake, false or misleading information will identified by the notified Fact Check Unit of the Central Government," the new rules states. The existing IT rules already required the intermediaries to make reasonable efforts to not host, publish or share any information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature, the government statement said.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday notified the new rules for online gaming which prohibited any game that involved betting and wagering, and entail a framework of multiple self-regulatory organisations (SROs). The rules were part of the new amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
According to a statement by the ministry, the new rules aimed to enforce greater due diligence by online gaming firms and social media intermediaries in respect of online games and fake or false misleading information related to government business.
Elaborating on the new rules at a press conference, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Online gaming is certainly a huge opportunity for India and Young Indians. We see the Indian online gaming ecosystem to expand and grow into a multi-billion dollar industry and be an important catalyst to India’s One trillion-dollar Digital economy goal by 2025-26, with very clear restrictions on online wagering and betting.”
These amendments have been drafted after holding widespread consultations with multiple stakeholders including parents, school teachers, academics, students, gamers and gaming industry associations, and child rights bodies, the ministry said.
As reported by PTI, Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters that online games involved in wagering or betting will fall foul of new online gaming rules.
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