Sh Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, while speaking about AI governance and development addressed the growing challenge of fake news. He specifically referred to the fake news disseminated among the public through social media. He seemed particularly concerned about fixing the accountability of the social media companies to tackle the rein of fake news on social media enabling a safe and facilitative ecosystem for the people. 

The minister highlighted the importance of balancing freedom of speech with the responsibility to combat fake news and ensure accurate narratives in the digital age. 

A call for consensus 

“It is a major challenge that societies across the world are facing—the accountability of social media, particularly in the context of fake news and the creation of fake narratives,” Shri Vaishnaw remarked as he spoke on the issue of Fake news. “These are the issues where freedom of speech comes on one hand and accountability and having a proper real news network getting created, on the other hand. These are things which need to be debated and if the house agrees and if there is a consensus in the entire society we can come up with the new law.” he further added. 

The growing menace of Fake News 

In 2022, India saw around 230 incidents involving the spread of fake news. The state of Telangana reported the highest number of such cases, accounting for about 81 of the total incidents registered with authorities.

For instance, a survey conducted by the digital rights organization Social & Media Matters found that nearly 80 percent of India's first-time voters are overwhelmed by fake news on popular social media platforms.

Also Read "8.6 lakh students enroll in Future Skills Platform, boosting accessibility of India’s AI training journey" which he remarked in the same address. 

Role of Social Media 

The rapid spread of misinformation, often amplified by algorithms on social media platforms, complicates efforts to maintain control over the narrative and protect the public from harmful content. Additionally, the anonymity provided by social media makes it difficult to track the origins of fake news, further hindering accountability. 

Challenges ahead 

This presents a significant challenge for the authorities and civil society to tackle this mance as soon as possible. Furthermore, striking the right balance between regulating misinformation and upholding free speech poses a complex dilemma, requiring careful deliberation and collaboration among various stakeholders, including government bodies, social media companies, and civil rights groups. 

To know more about the Government's stance in Tech read, Project Srijan On The Cards as Meta Collaborates with MeitY for a Gen-AI Centre at IIT Jodhpur