According to the new rules, any information or news running on social media is identified as fake or false by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) or any other agency which has been authenticated by the Central government for fact-checking, or "by its department in which such business is transacted", would be prohibited further.
It added that once the piece of information is flagged as fake or false, the social media or other “online intermediaries" would have to make sure to ensure the users don’t "host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share" such information.
In October, the government announced a panel would be set up to hear complaints from users regarding content moderation decisions of social media firms, which are already required to appoint in-house grievance redressal officers and executives to co-ordinate with law enforcement officials.
In past few years, the Central government has been involved in tussles with various platforms regarding fake news.
Meanwhile, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) recently exposed six YouTube channels for "working in a coordinated manner and spreading false information" about the government, elections. The false information also included proceedings in the Supreme Court and Parliament of India, the president and the prime minister.
In an official statement, the Press Information Bureau (PIB)'s Fact Check Unit pointed to six channels on YouTube -- Nation TV, Samvaad TV, Sarokar Bharat, Nation 24, Swarnim Bharat and Samvaad Samachar.
(With agency inputs)
