Congress Announces Framework For 'Fact-Check Unit'; Says 'No Narrative Building, No Curbing Free Speech'

To tackle the issue of misinformation and fake news, the Karnataka Congress government has been planning to set up a unit to 'fact-check' the same.

Previously, Minister for Information Technology-Biotechnology Priyank Kharge, had made several announcements regarding the establishment of the unit and the composition of the same.

The Editors Guild of India had earlier expressed concerns regarding the unit.

Further, Kharge called for a press meeting in the state where he provided details about the composition of the unit which includes a committee for oversight, a review single point of contact (SPOC) and nodal officers.

Composition

The oversight committee, which features some key people from various walks of life, includes the following members:

• Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence/CID)

The review of the SPOC will be reportedly headed by an SP from the intelligence department or by a designated representative from the home department, a MoneyControl report states.

Political Witch-Hunt?

Speaking about the potential bias in the creation and the functioning of the unit, Kharge made a clarification saying, "Fact-checking will be conducted in multiple languages, including Kannada, English, and other regional languages. It will rely on primary sources wherever available and ensure transparency by disclosing all sources referenced."

"In cases of unclear facts, the unit will provide all available unambiguous information and make transparent corrections when new facts emerge," he added.

The business of doing fact-checks, managing communication and outreach will be handled by the fact-checking team, Kharge has clarified. The information ecosystem will be monitored by an analytics team which provides early intelligence and identifies 'key sources of information disorder'.

To strengthen the information ecosystem, a capacity-building team is planning to reveal public awareness campaigns and also develop relevant applications for the same.

Recently, the Karnataka government lodged an FIR against news anchor Sudhir Chaudhary for allegedly reporting 'fake news'.

Chaudhary was booked at the Seshadripuram police station in Bengaluru on multiple counts, many of which are non-bailable offences, according to the sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complaint was filed by an official belonging to the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation.

More Details About The Unit

Furthermore, speaking about the process, Kharge has stated that the fact-checking agencies will conduct proactive investigations once the content is submitted by the public.

Once the investigation concludes, a report of the same with their conclusions will be sent to the state government for further action.

"If content blocking is deemed necessary, it will be referred to the Central government. In case of breaches on social media platforms used by the public, reports will be made to the liaison of social media intermediaries," Kharge added.

The action taken will be based on legal and relevant frameworks from legislation such as:

• IT Act, 2000

As stated above in the article, several members belonging to the civil society, including journalists, members of the opposition party in Karnataka and activists have raised concerns with the interference of the government in fact-checking.

Also, addressing the concerns raised by the Editors' Guild of India, the minister said that the Congress government had "no intention of suppressing legitimate criticism."

"We are prepared to engage with various stakeholders, including representatives of the Press Club of India. The unit will also include members from civil society and media organisations," he added.

The MoneyControl report further quotes Kharge as saying, "Our intention is not to put people behind bars or restrict the freedom of the press, nor do we seek to manipulate the narrative. Our sole objective is to provide the public with accurate information about the veracity of content. The fact-checking unit will operate independently, devoid of any political or partisan influence."

He concluded the meeting by stating that the government plans to use technological support, including artificial intelligence to combat fake news.

According to him, the unit would "function independently and would not impede freedom of expression or legitimate criticism of government policies".