New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) condemned the new amemdments brought to the Information Technology Rules, calling it “draconian” as the Centre has immunised itself on determining if the news is fake or not.

The Guild has urged the central government to take back the IT Amendment Rules, 2023 that have been notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on April 6, 2023.

Under the new rule, the MeitY will constitute a “fact checking unit” to determine the nature of a news piece, in regards to “any business of the Central Government.” The EGI strictly warned that it will have “deeply adverse implications for press freedom in the country.”

EGI is disturbed by the amendments notified to the IT Rules 2021, by @GoI_MeitY giving itself authority to constitute a “fact checking unit”, with sweeping powers to determine what is “fake or false” wrt “business of Central Government”, and order take down to intermediaries. pic.twitter.com/8osEyM1RTS

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— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) April 7, 2023

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No information regarding its mechanism

The guild has also pointed out at the mechanism of the fact checking unit. “There is no mention of what will be the governing mechanism for such a fact checking unit, the judicial oversight, the right to appeal, or adherence to the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of India in Shreya Singhal v Union of India case, with respect to take down of content or blocking of social media handles,” read the official notification.

Not discussed with experts as promised 

It was further mentioned in the notification that the Ministry has notified this amendment, without any meaningful consultation that it had promised after it withdrew the earlier draft amendments it had put out in January 2023.

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The Guild said the sweeping powers have been given to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), which was universally criticized by media organisations across the country, including the Guild.

It said, “The Guild again urges the Ministry to withdraw this notification and conduct consultations with media organisations and press bodies.”

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