Need for Fact Check Unit The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules 2021”) notified on April 6, 2023, among others, mandates to have in place a fact check unit. It reads as follows: …the intermediary shall inform its rules and regulations, privacy policy and user agreement to the user in English or any language specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution in the language of his choice and shall make reasonable efforts [by itself, and to cause the users of its computer resource to not host], display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that,—. (v) deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message or knowingly and intentionally communicates any misinformation or information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature [or, in respect of any business of the Central Government, is identified as fake or false or misleading by such fact check unit of the Central Government as the Ministry may, by notification published in the Official Gazette, specify]. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in consultation with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), vide Gazette Notification S.O.1491(E) dated 20.03.2024 notified the fact check unit (FCU) under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the MIB as the fact checking unit of the central government under rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021). PIB Fact Check Unit Since November 2019, the FCU established under PIB has been effectively working with the purpose of tackling fake news pertaining to the Government policies, schemes, rules and regulations, programmes, initiatives, etc. Through an established rigorous fact-checking procedure, the PIB Fact Check Unit helps in dispelling myths, rumours and false claims, and provides accurate and reliable information to the public. Understandably, the mandate of PIB’s Fact Check Unit aligns with the objective of actioning a fact check unit for any business of the government under rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the IT Rules 2021. The FCU is mandated to counter misinformation on Government policies, initiatives and schemes either suo motu or under a reference via complaints. The FCU actively monitors, detects, and counters disinformation campaigns, ensuring that false information about the Government is promptly exposed and corrected. Fact-Check Mechanism The fact checking process is based on the FACT model – Find, Assess, Create and Target. Users send requests over WhatsApp, email or a web portal. Each such request received is considered as a ‘Query’. Queries are segregated by the Unit based on their relevance to matters pertaining to Government of India. Only queries pertaining to Government of India are considered and taken up as Actionable Queries, while others are deemed not relevant for action. The information in question is checked rigorously through multiple layers of cross-checking through Government Open-source information, use of technological tools and verification from the concerned Government of India organization. Should the Unit come across a piece of information that the Unit ascertains must be busted publicly for the larger benefit of the people of India, after investigation and verification from official & authoritative sources, it publishes a 'Fact Check' on its social media platforms. Often a single fact check can be a result of multiple queries. Fact checked content can be segregated into the following three categories: Fake - any factually incorrect news, content, or, piece of information related to the Government of India, spread intentionally or unintentionally, that can deceive or manipulate the audience, with or without the intention to cause potential harm, can be flagged as Fake Misleading - any information presented, either partially true or with selective presentation of facts or figures or with distortion of facts or figures and with the intention of deceiving or misleading the recipient of the information. True: any information that is found to be factually correct after investigation Where to contact for Fact Check The PIB Fact Check unit only takes up complaints related to the Government of India, its Ministries, Departments, Public Sector entities etc. Any matter that does not pertain to the Union Government is not taken up for evaluation/fact-checking by the Unit. Citizens can reach out to the PIB Fact Check Unit through various modes, such as WhatsApp - +918799711259 Email - Factcheck[at]pib[dot]gov[dot]in; socialmedia[at]pib[dot]gov[dot]in Social media - Twitter (@PIBFactCheck); Instagram - /PIBFactCheck; Koo - @PIBFactCheck; Telegram - t.me/PIB_FactCheck; Facebook - /PIBFactCheck PIB’s website - https://factcheck.pib.gov.in. The Fact Check Unit’s WhatsApp Hotline Number is a handy tool for such people where one only has to forward a suspicious message. The PIB Fact Check Unit has also taken measures to ensure the accessibility of the fact-checks to persons with disabilities. Since images constitute a major part of social media, it is becoming increasingly imperative to provide ‘Alternative text’ (ALT) to ensure the universal reach of content. The PIB Fact Check Unit provides alternative text alongside all its posts disseminated on its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram handle. Source : PIB