India makes it clear : Big Tech cannot be judge and jury

IT act amendments: Undoubtedly, Big Tech is eager to intervene in the internal matters of nearly every sovereign nation across the globe. However, they are about to face a significant setback from India. If things go as planned, the Indian government will soon implement extensive amendments to the IT Acts.

What’s new in this?

The Indian government has proposed amendments to the Information Technology (IT) act that would empower it to create an autonomous fact-checking organization to identify and take down any false or misleading content related to the central government. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) will be given the power to fact-check any ‘fake, false, or misleading’ information about the government and request social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to remove such content.

According to Minister for State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, intermediaries who choose to keep the content that has been fact-checked will have to deal with the aggrieved person in a court of law.

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The notification published by the government states that the government of India will notify an organization to fact-check content related to the government for all intermediaries to fight misinformation. However, many experts have termed this move unconstitutional and an arbitrary exercise of power. The Internet Freedom Foundation has stated that assigning such arbitrary and overbroad powers to a unit of the government violates the principles of natural justice and the fundamental right to speech and expression.

The notification

Minister Chandrasekhar has argued that disinformation and misinformation on the internet are other forms of internet criminality that require stricter-than-ever provisions to be dealt with. He has also asked for intermediary suggestions on whether there can be a self-regulatory organization to play a bigger role in ensuring that the internet is free of misinformation and disinformation.

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The proposed IT act amendments are a significant move towards ensuring accurate and unbiased news and information related to the government of India. It is important to strike a balance between preventing the spread of misinformation and disinformation and protecting the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

This is significant because it’s no secret that Big Tech has been involved in India’s internal affairs and encouraged anarchist activities in recent years. Therefore, the government’s move to implement these IT act amendments will be a revolutionary step in itself.