Indian Government's Crackdown on Online News and Press Freedom

The Editors Guild of India has criticized the government's move to police news on social media through a self-appointed fact-checking unit, describing the new rules as draconian and akin to censorship. The amendments to the country's IT rules make it obligatory on platforms "not to publish, share or host fake, false or misleading information" about the government. The federal government on Thursday announced that it would appoint the fact-check unit to identify fake, false or misleading information, but the Editors Guild questions the unit's governing mechanism, its sweeping powers in determining fake news and the right to appeal in such cases.