Overview

• The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology adopted a draft report urging amendments to penal provisions, higher fines, and an independent regulator to deter misinformation.
• It seeks mandatory fact-checking units and internal ombudsmen across print, digital, and broadcast outlets, with accountability assigned to editors, publishers, and intermediaries.
• The panel calls for mandatory labeling of AI-generated content, exploration of licensing for AI content creators, and the use of AI tools with human oversight to identify and prosecute offenders.
• Members flagged concerns over Section 79 safe-harbour protections and algorithmic amplification of sensational content, recommending coordinated action across ministries.
• Recommendations include a small inter-ministerial task force for cross-border cases, reference to international models such as France’s election-misinformation law, time-bound grievance redress with digital tracking, and a media literacy curriculum with teacher training.