The Supreme Court, led by CJI Chandrachud, Today halted the implementation of Fact Check Units (FCUs) under the 2023 IT Amendment Rules, emphasizing the need to examine its impact on free speech. This decision followed petitions challenging the rules, including one from comedian Kunal Kamra, who argued that FCUs could lead to biased censorship by social media platforms regarding the Central government.
The Bombay High Court Today (March 13th) allowed the Central Government to establish a Fact Checking Unit (FCU) under the amended Information Technology Rules, aiming to identify and address fake content on social media targeting the government. This decision comes after legal challenges and a split opinion within the bench. The FCU is crucial in regulating online content and government oversight.