US Big Tech proposes network of 'Indian, foreign fact-checkers' to combat online misinformation

A day after India's information and technology ministry notified rules under which it will set up a dedicated fact-checking unit to act against online misinformation related to the government, a report has emerged which revealed how Meta and Google intend to be the ultimate information arbiters on their platforms.

According to a report in The Indian Express, top social media platforms including Meta and Google in a proposal sent to New Delhi, have detailed their "plans to create a network of fact-checkers", who will verify the content they deem dubious.

This exact network of fact-checkers, is reportedly being billed as 'Misinformation Combat Alliance'.

The alliance of social media platforms will act as a "certification body". They will be the one to verify a "trusted" fact-checker, The Indian Express report added.

The paper further reported that the Misinformation Combat Alliance, if and when established, will fact-check informationwhich is not related to the Union Government. "The platforms are proposing that under the Misinformation Combat Alliance, they will create a network of Indian and foreign fact-checkers," a senior government official was quoted as saying.

It has been reported earlier that representatives of a number of social media companies met with India's information and technology ministry officials in February 2023, in which the government insisted on the creation of a network of Indian fact-checkers to combat misinformation online.

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On Thursday, India’s information and technology ministry notified a new rule that will give powers to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to fact-check any “fake, or false, or misleading” information about the central government and ask social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to take it down.

The social media companies will run the risk of losing their safe harbour immunity if they refuse to abide by the order of the PIB fact-check. This immunity guarantees them protection against any illegal or false content posted by users on their platforms, and has been criticised massively for dodging accountability for misleading content posted on them.

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