Supreme Court notice to Centre on plea to tackle social media fake news & hate speech

On a plea seeking framing of a law to regulate social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and hold them responsible in case of the spread of fake news and hate speech, the Supreme Court on Monday has sought responses from the Centre and others. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued the notice. 

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The Supreme Court heard a petition filed by advocate Vineet Jindal who has sought directions to the Centre to frame laws for prosecuting those involved in spreading hate and fake news through social media platforms. The plea has also sought a direction to the concerned authorities to set up a procedure for automatic removal of fake news and hate speech within a short timeframe. The plea also mentioned that the reach of social media is much wider than the traditional media and earlier the platform has been misused causing communal violence incidents in the country.

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READ | 'Classify Social Media As News Media To Curb Fake News': Supreme Court Judge

Supreme Court Justice: 'Classify social media as news media'

To curb the dissemination of fake news and bots in the digital age, there is a need to classify social media platforms as news media and subject them to the same journalistic standards, said Supreme Court Justice S Ravindra Bhat while delivering a lecture on Saturday. Justice Bhat also questioned the neutrality maintained by such platforms in claiming no responsibility for the content shared by users on them. Justice Bhat said systems that mediate between users, social media platforms can never be neutral. He also said that algorithms shape how people communicate and what information is presented to what participants in what manner and at what time. 

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Twitter Blocks 250 Tweets on Centre's Instructions For Hateful Fake News Campaign

In a significant move on Monday, Twitter has withheld around 250 accounts in India, including that of Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar stating that the action was taken "in response to a legal demand", which has turned out to be from the government of India. These accounts, as per the statement, were making "fake, intimidatory and provocative Tweets on Saturday, 30". The statement further said that the request originated from the Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies in order to "prevent any escalation of law and order in view of the on-going farmer agitation."

The debate over censorship and fake-news on social media is raging in a number of countries across the world right now, in particular, the US, where the then sitting President, Donald Trump, has had his accounts banned indefinitely after he was accused of inciting the mob that led an insurrection against the US government and stormed the US Capitol building on January 6.

(With PTI Inputs)