Sharing unverified messages creating fake news: SC judge

Supreme Court Judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul also made a case for individual discretion and responsibility with respect to sharing fake news. “Any regulation of social media may impinge on free speech and right to privacy.

Mindless and incessant forwarding of WhatsApp messages without verifying the correctness of such messages is leading to spread of fake news and such messages assume racial and religious overtones, Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said on Sunday.

“There are a lot of messages about Covid (coronavirus disease) including its ‘remedies’, the origin, people who are ‘helping spread of the virus’ and so on. These messages can take religious and racial undertones,” the SC judge warned. (Screengrab)

Kaul also made a case for individual discretion and responsibility with respect to sharing fake news. “Any regulation of social media may impinge on free speech and right to privacy. The struggle is to regulate social media without affecting free speech, so it is everybody’s responsibility to see that content is verified before it is sent.”

Justice Kaul was speaking on the topic ‘Fake News and Misinformation’ at an online lecture series organised by Madras Bar Association.

“There are a lot of messages about Covid (coronavirus disease) including its ‘remedies’, the origin, people who are ‘helping spread of the virus’ and so on. These messages can take religious and racial undertones,” the SC judge warned.

“When the press is writing, they are accountable... they write with a certain sense of responsibility. But others may not have anything at stake and no accountability...” he said.