The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Sunday voiced concerns over the Karnataka government's decision to set aup fact-checking unit.
The EGI called for wider consultation and clarity on the formation and functions of the proposed fact-checking unit.
Earlier, the EGI along with other civil society groups had criticised a similar fact-checking unit by the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry. A petition filed by the EGI against the Centre's fact-checking unit is pending in the Bombay High Court.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has proposed to bring artificial intelligence (AI)-driven private players to check 'fake news'.
"A three-step measure was approved to detect fake news and syndicates that create fake news, stop the spread of fake news, and give severe punishment to the accused," said Karnataka's Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Twitter on August 21.
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The EGI acknowledged that "there is a problem of misinformation and fake news, especially in the online space", the organisation highlighted the importance of any fact-checking body to be independent of government control. The EGI also called for wider consultation and clarity on the scope of powers to be vested with the proposed fact-checking unit.
The EGI in a statement shared on Twitter said that fact-checking bodies should not be the "sole purview of the government" so that they do not become a tool to suppress voices of dissent.
The EGI further said, "Any such monitoring framework should follow principle of natural justice, including giving prior notice, right to appeal, and judicial oversight. Such units should also be set up with due consultation of all stakeholders, including journalists and medoa bodies, so that press freedom is not tampered with. The Guild urges the Karnataka government to clarify the scope and powers of the proposed fact-checking unit, as well as the governing mechanism under which it will operate."
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The Print earlier reported Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, as saying that the proposal would be divided content into three categories: information, misinformation and malicious information. The report further quoted him as saying that "fact-checking companies that use artificial intelligence will be empanelled and will provide the requisite information to the state".
"The services of these companies will be used not just to prompt ‘reactive’ action but also ‘pre-emptive’ action. Let’s say Bakrid (festival) is coming… we know there is a pattern to it (spread of certain information)… or, an India-Pakistan match is coming up… we know there is a pattern… or, (when) there is some kind of aggression in Manipur. There is a need for constant monitoring...Spreading misinformation with malicious intent will be a crime. What we are trying to do is maintain law and order and debunk fake narratives. We are not trying to control the narrative like the central government is doing," said Kharge, as per The Print.
