{"id":133565,"date":"2024-09-21T19:14:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T13:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=133565"},"modified":"2024-09-23T15:27:25","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T09:57:25","slug":"bombay-high-court-strikes-down-fcu","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/bombay-high-court-strikes-down-fcu","title":{"rendered":"Bombay High Court Strikes Down Centre\u2019s Fact Check Unit (FCU)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Bombay High Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has struck down the<\/span><b> Centre&#8217;s amended Information Technology (IT) rules, 2023<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that established a <\/span><b>Fact Check Unit (FCU)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to <\/span><b>flag social media content about its functioning as fake, false or misleading.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court found the unit <\/span><b>unconstitutional <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to its <\/span><b>vagueness <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and potential <\/span><b>effect on free speech and trade.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2023<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Amendment to IT Rules, 2021:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules 2023, <\/span><b>amended the IT Rules, 2021<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9987%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>About Fact Check Unit (FCU)<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Establishment in 2019:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Fact Check Unit under PIB was <\/span><b>established in November 2019 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with a stated objective of <\/span><b>acting as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news and misinformation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Mandate and Operations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FCU is mandated to counter misinformation on Government policies, initiatives and schemes <\/span><b>either suo motu or under a reference via complaints.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also provides <\/span><b>people with an easy avenue to report suspicious and questionable information pertaining to the Government of India.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Amendment changed FCU Status: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An official fact-checking unit has operated under the PIB for over four years.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, this amendment granted the<\/span><b> FCU<\/b> <b>legal authority<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><b>power to enforce a legal obligation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on online platforms like Facebook and Twitter to <\/span><b>remove any content labeled as &#8220;fake&#8221; by the FCU.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government designated the <\/span><b>Fact Checking Unit (FCU) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as the<\/span><b> fact check unit of the Central Government.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Safe Harbour Condition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The content marked by the <\/span><b>Fact Check Unit (FCU)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as <\/span><b>\u201cfake or misleading\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will have to be <\/span><b>taken down<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by <\/span><b>online intermediaries<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if they wish to retain their <\/span><b>\u201csafe harbor\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (legal immunity against third-party content).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Reasons cited by the Court for striking down Fact Check Unit (FCU)<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ultra vires the IT Act: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rule was <\/span><b>\u201cultra vires\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span><b>beyond the powers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, of the Information Technology (IT) Act.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-133542 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/214-66eec6e5cc258.webp\" alt=\"Fact Check Unit\" width=\"450\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/214-66eec6e5cc258.webp 682w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/214-66eec6e5cc258-300x252.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amendment was <\/span><b>ultra vires<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as it did not comply with the <\/span><b>IT Act, 2000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><b> nor was it laid before Parliament <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to <\/span><b>Section 87<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the 2000 Act.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Amendment was a <\/span><b>delegated legislation.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Violation of Article 14 and 19: Rule 3(1)(b)(v)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the <\/span><b>Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2023 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">violated key provisions of the Indian Constitution specifically, <\/span><b>Article 14 (equality before the law)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>Article 19(1)(g) (freedom to practise any profession or business).<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Violation of Reasonable Restrictions under Article 19(2): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amendment placed <\/span><b>restrictions on free speech<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that were not aligned with the <\/span><b>reasonable restrictions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> permitted under <\/span><b>Article 19(2)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Vagueness of \u201cFake, False, or Misleading\u201d: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The expressions \u201cfake, false, or misleading\u201d in the amended IT Rules are too <\/span><b>vague and overbroad<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, leading to uncertainty in their application.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Failure to Meet the Test of Proportionality: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rule failed the <\/span><b>test of proportionality<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, meaning it <\/span><b>imposed excessive restrictions on free speech and expression<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that were <\/span><b>not justified or balanced.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>No Right to the Truth Under Article 19(1)(a): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is <\/span><b>no constitutional \u201cright to the truth\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under <\/span><b>freedom of speech and expression<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Article 19(1)(a)).<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was also <\/span><b>\u201cnot a responsibility of the state<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to ensure that the <\/span><b>citizens are entitled only to \u2018information\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that was <\/span><b>not fake<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, false or misleading as identified by FCU\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inconsistent Treatment of Digital and Print Media: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was <\/span><b>no basis or rationale<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for treating information in <\/span><b>digital form<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> differently from <\/span><b>print media<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, creating inconsistencies in how information related to the Central Government is assessed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Chilling Effect on Intermediaries: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rule resulted in a <\/span><b>\u201cchilling effect\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on intermediaries due to the <\/span><b>threat of losing \u201csafe harbour\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or their legal immunity, for hosting third-party content.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inadequate Safeguards: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Centre&#8217;s argument that decisions by the FCU could be challenged in a <\/span><b>constitutional court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was deemed an <\/span><b>inadequate safeguard<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9248%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 137.805%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2084],"subject":[2124],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/133565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133565"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/133565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133750,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/133565\/revisions\/133750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133565"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=133565"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=133565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}