India

Kunal Kamra Moves Supreme Court for Interim Stay on Fact-Checking Unit under IT Amendment Rules

Kunal Kamra, a prominent stand-up comedian, has petitioned the Supreme Court of India to intervene and halt the implementation of the Fact-Checking Unit (FCU) established under the recently amended Information Technology (IT) Rules of 2023. The FCU is mandated to identify and flag purportedly fake or false content on social media platforms, particularly content critical of the government.

The FCU, instituted through amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules of 2021, empowers it to pinpoint online content deemed fake, false, or misleading concerning government affairs. Once identified, the FCU notifies social media intermediaries, who then have the choice to either remove the flagged content or append a disclaimer. Opting for the latter forfeits the intermediary’s legal immunity, exposing them to potential legal consequences.

Also read: AAP Opposes Ban on Election Freebies, Asserts Welfare Schemes as Constitutional Accountability

Kunal Kamra contends that the FCU’s directives effectively pressure social media companies into preemptively censoring content that may criticize or question the actions of the central government. He argues that the FCU regime fosters an environment where social media intermediaries are compelled to prioritize avoiding legal repercussions over facilitating open discourse and free expression online.

Kavya Bhatt

Recent Posts

JP Nadda Slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Match-Fixing’ Claims As ‘Desperation Of Losing’ Polls

Rahul Gandhi's opinion piece appeared in a national daily and sparked political uproar. Opposition parties…

7 hours ago

Poverty In India Reduced Via Tangible Boost In Household Living Standards, Incomes

In 2022–23, poverty under the revised $3.00 line stood at just 5.25 per cent in…

8 hours ago

Chhattisgarh: Seven Maoists Killed In Indravati National Park Operation

Five Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district,…

8 hours ago

Carney Invites Modi To G7 Summit, Highlights India’s Global Supply Chain Role

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the most populous country, with the fifth-largest economy, must…

9 hours ago

RBI Frontloads Rate Cuts To Boost Growth Amid Low Inflation: Crisil

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has frontloaded its rate cuts to support economic growth,…

9 hours ago

PM Modi Urges Global Action On Coastal Resilience At Nice Summit

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday called for urgent global action to build infrastructure that can…

9 hours ago