Centre notifies Fact Check Unit under PIB to debunk government related matters on social media
The fact check unit under the Press Information Bureau has been notified as the fact check unit for the Central Government, according to an official notification issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on March 20.
FollowThe central government has formally formed a fact-checking unit (FCU) to monitor social media information relevant to its activities. This action is in accordance with the newly updated Information Technology Rules.   It has been notified under the recently amended Information and Technology Rules of 2021.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, the Fact Check Unit under the Press Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will serve as the official fact-checking unit of the Central Government.
This division is responsible for checking the veracity of material appearing on social media platforms pertaining to any Central Government business.
"The Central Government hereby notifies the Fact Check Unit under the Press Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as the fact check unit of the Central Government for the purposes of the said sub-clause, in respect of any business of the Central Government," the gazette notification stated.
It added, "The Central Government is exercising the powers conferred by sub-clause (v) of clause (b) of sub-rule (1) of rule 3 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021."
The unit will take a call on whether online information related to the Central Government is accurate. The body will be able to identify government-related information on internet platforms like as Facebook and Twitter as "fake" or "misleading". Social media sites will have to take down such posts, and internet service providers will have to block URLs of such content.
Additionally, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar had assured last year that the government-backed fact check body will work in a credible way.
