NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday suggested that some tough measures against those sharing misleading information or rumour mongering may be in the offing as she pointed to the use of communication channels for such purposes as a challenge and govt’s attempts to build a global framework and new ways to address this challenge.
“In this era of communication revolution, disruptive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy and create fissures in society.These forces are present within the country and are also operating from outside the country… This situation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. Today, technology is advancing every day. In such a situation, its misuse against humanity can be extremely harmful,” she said in her address to Parliament.
In March, the Centre had tasked the Press Information Bureau to keep tabs on fake news, but the decision was stayed by the Supreme Court. While countries across the globe have been dealing with the issue, in India there is a massive debate on who should handle the issue at the national level although states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have set up their own units.
Govt is also dealing with social media platforms, and has often been criticised for asking these companies to pull down unverified claims or information that can fan tension. WhatsApp and govt have had their share of disputes over checking the origin of information, something that the popular chatting platform has claimed is beyond its control.
The Prez’s comments signal govt’s intent to move ahead with checks on dissemination of inaccurate information and its sharing.
“In this era of communication revolution, disruptive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy and create fissures in society.These forces are present within the country and are also operating from outside the country… This situation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. Today, technology is advancing every day. In such a situation, its misuse against humanity can be extremely harmful,” she said in her address to Parliament.
In March, the Centre had tasked the Press Information Bureau to keep tabs on fake news, but the decision was stayed by the Supreme Court. While countries across the globe have been dealing with the issue, in India there is a massive debate on who should handle the issue at the national level although states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have set up their own units.
Govt is also dealing with social media platforms, and has often been criticised for asking these companies to pull down unverified claims or information that can fan tension. WhatsApp and govt have had their share of disputes over checking the origin of information, something that the popular chatting platform has claimed is beyond its control.
The Prez’s comments signal govt’s intent to move ahead with checks on dissemination of inaccurate information and its sharing.
