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New bill to tackle fake news will be tabled soon: Karnataka minister
The state government has announced that a new bill will be introduced to counter fake news, deep fakes, and derogatory content on social media platforms, home minister G Parameshwara said
The state government has announced that a new bill will be introduced to counter fake news, deep fakes, and derogatory content on social media platforms, officials familiar with the matter said. The new bill is expected to be tabled during the winter joint session of the legislature scheduled to commence on December 4 at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.
The state minister for home affairs G Parameshwara told reporters that the government, which is serious about the spread of falsehood on social media sites, has prepared a draft of the bill. “The home department, in coordination with the IT department, has prepared the draft and most probably the bill will be tabled in the coming session,” he said.
Parameshwara highlighted the prevalence of fake news reports and the need for legislative intervention. He pointed out instances of problematic social media posts, which could be defamatory, derogatory, or employing technology to create misleading content. He referred to a recent incident involving a post targeting film actor Rashmika Mandanna, where a deep fake video of hers had created a controversy.
“We have seen several fake news reports and the bill is being drafted. The social media posts might be defamatory, derogatory or dirty, recently, we saw a post against a film actor (Rashmika Mandanna) using technology. To curb such posts, we are drafting a bill in coordination with the IT and home departments. It is likely to be tabled in the upcoming session,” the home minister said.
Meanwhile, IT minister Priyank Kharge said the misinformation and circulation of fake news is a bigger threat to democracy as compared to artificial intelligence-generated content. His comments came after the central government announced a crackdown on deepfake content on social media, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over its misuse.
“The Union government must set its priorities right. There is no doubt about the dangerous consequences of deepfake, but the fact is that misinformation is the bigger issue for a democracy. The Supreme Court has already expressed its concern on misinformation that is being circulated across social media but what has the union government done?” Priyank told reporters.
The IT minister also said the state’s priority is to tackle misinformation and fake news at this point. “Deepfake is going to be a challenge to all of us. It is an expensive affair, and we have a long way to go. At this point, battling misinformation is our primary concern,” Kharge added.
In September, chief minister Siddaramaiah gave permission to establish a fact-checking unit aimed at cracking down on fake news (misinformation campaigns), fake emails, and cybercrime in the state. The state also set up an oversight committee featuring prominent figures from various sectors to manage the cell. This committee includes the head of the IT department, the intelligence ADGP [assistant director general of police], representatives from the department of information and public relations [DIPR], the additional advocate general, the centre head of cyber security unit, and representatives from civil society.
