Catergory

IT Rules amendments, 2023

Statement: MeitY has notified the PIB Fact Check of MIB as the fact-checking unit under the IT Amendment Rules, 2023

The notified FCU will be empowered to flag online “false”, “fake”, or “misleading” information related to the Union government.
20 March, 2024
2 min read

Bombay HC Delivers Split Verdict in Challenge to IT (Amendment) Rules 2023

With Justice Gautam S. Patel ruling in favour of the Petitioners, and Justice Neela Gokhale against, the Bombay High Court has delivered a split verdict in a batch of petitions challenging IT (Amendment) Rules, 2023
31 January, 2024
4 min read

Dealing with deepfakes (MeitY’s Version)

As deepfakes took centre stage in 2023, MeitY decided to tackle the emerging issue head-on. However, what ensued was several conflicting statements from MeitY on how to tackle it. We wrote to them cautioning against surface-level, rushed interventions without deep research and consultation.
12 January, 2024
4 min read

Bombay HC reserves its judgment in petitions challenging the Union Government’s fact checking amendments, after final hearings conclude

The Bombay High Court has reserved its judgment in a batch of petitions filed by Association of Indian Magazines, Kunal Kamra and others, challenging the constitutionality of the IT Amendment Rules, 2023.
29 September, 2023
5 min read

“Intermediaries can decide if they want to take down ‘fake’ information” - The Union Government concludes its submissions in petition challenging the IT Amendment Rules, 2023

During its submissions before the Bombay HC in a challenge to the IT Amendment Rules, 2023, the Union Govt clarified that this fact check unit will focus on patently false govt-related content, and that its role is only to flag, leaving the final call to intermediaries.
28 September, 2023
4 min read

Fact-Checking or Fact-Hiding? Our RTI inquiring about the Karnataka Fact Checking Unit rejected!

Our RTI request with the Bengaluru Police inquiring about the constitution of a fact check unit (FCU) was rejected stating it as ‘completely vague, speculative and questionable’. However, since then the Chief Minister of Karnataka has reportedly approved the setting up of a state-level FCU.
29 August, 2023
7 min read

Updates from the Bombay HC on the Petition Challenging the IT Amendment Rules, 2023

In June 2023, the Bombay High Court had directed for all the petitions to be listed on July 6 and 7, 2023, for final hearing. With the Petitioners having concluded their arguments, the matter will now be heard on August 31 & September 1, 2023. The Union of India will be making submissions.
21 July, 2023
4 min read

In a petition filed by the Association of Indian Magazines’ challenging the fact check amendments to IT Rules, 2021, the Bombay High Court directs the Government to file its Reply

The Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) has filed a writ petition before the Bombay HC challenging the constitutional validity of this provision of the IT Rules Amendment, 2023 for being ultra vires the IT Act, 2000, and violating the right to freedom of speech and expression.
07 June, 2023
4 min read

In Kunal Kamra’s Petition in the Bombay High Court, the Government undertakes not to constitute its Fact Check Unit

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has undertaken not to notify its Fact Check Unit until July 5, 2023.
27 April, 2023
3 min read

IT Amendment Rules, 2023 are a nightmare, dressed like a fact checking daydream

The notified IT Amendment Rules, 2023 regulate online gaming and misinformation. They provide for the establishment of a fact check unit (“FCU”), by the Union government, to fact check online information related to the Union government. In this Public Brief, we analyse the hits and misses.
21 April, 2023
7 min read

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