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 m responsible in case of spre of fake news and hate speech, Supreme Court on Monday has sought responses from Centre and ors. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued tice. 

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

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

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

To curb dissemination of fake news and bots in digital , re is a need to classify social media platforms as news media and subject m to same journalistic standards, said Supreme Court Justice S Ravindra Bhat while delivering a lecture on Saturday. Justice Bhat also questioned neutrality maintained by such platforms in claiming responsibility for content shared by users on m. 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. 

RE | Twitter Blocks 250 Tweets, Handles On Centre's Instructions For Hateful Fake News Campaign

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 action was taken "in response to a legal demand", which has turned out to be from government of India. se accounts, as per statement, were making "fake, intimidatory and provocative Tweets on Saturday, 30". statement furr said that request originated from  Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement ncies in order to "prevent any escalation of law and order in view of on-going farmer agitation."

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

(With PTI Inputs)