PIB To Establish Fact Checking Unit To Combat Fake News Against Government On Social Media

The Centre’s nodal agency for issuing releases to the public, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) will be creating a fact checking unit in order to tackle the fake news on social media targeting the government and the work being done by it, reports Hindustan Times.

The plan has received a green light from the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB). The project will likely unfold over the coming weeks, although exact details have as of yet not been made public.

“We will monitor and detect anything related to the government that is blatantly wrong, and put out correct information to ensure that people do not fall for wrong news,” said a government official.

MIB had in 2016 established an early warning system to identify likely flashpoints to warn the government about, and the ministry’s social media analytics used to create reports for the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Advisor’s Office after sifting through social media sites.

Although the social media analytics unit was later disbanded, MIB worked closely with the Election Commission and social media companies during the Lok Sabha polls this year to find and remove posts spreading fake news.