Editors Guild Red Flags Karnataka Government's "Fact Checking" Unit

Editors Guild of India expresses concern over Karnataka government's decision to set up a 'fact-checking unit' to monitor social media posts and argues for independent oversight.

The Karnataka government's decision to set up a 'fact-checking' unit to monitor 'fake news' on social media - including reports posted by media organisations - has been red-flagged by the Editors Guild of India. On Sunday the EGI issued a statement referring to its petition challenging amendments to the IT Rules (2023) in the Bombay High Court and warned against a "fact-checking unit... under the executive (with) sole authority to determine what is fake or not, and powers to order content take-down". EGI notes with concern, some aspects of Karnataka govt's decision to set up a ‘fact-checking unit' to monitor ‘fake news'. We urge all govts to ensure such units are independent of executive control and their scope and powers are specified so as to not trample upon press freedom pic.twitter.com/7G9pdOweFQ

The EGI admitted "there is a problem of misinformation and fake news, especially in the online space" but said efforts to identify and remove such content had to be led by "independent bodies that are not under the sole purview of the government, lest they become tools to clamp down on voices of dissent".

"Any monitoring framework should follow principles of natural justice, including journalists and media bodies, so that press freedom is not tampered with," the EGI statement said.