Govt departments set up QRTs to counter fake social media content

Government departments are setting up Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to ensure a timely response to fake, misleading and misinformation-driven content on social media, an official said.

There is a need to engage with people through social media in a constructive manner and ensure that responses to rumours, misinformation, fake content and misleading posts are issued in a timely manner, the official said.

The teams will scrutinise, coordinate and respond to such content, while monitoring matters related to the policies, schemes, programmes, decisions and announcements of respective government departments.


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Power, agriculture and commerce departments have already constituted their QRTs.

"Ideally, the response from the ministries should go in two hours of noting such content," the official said, adding that social media and digital media teams of respective ministries would monitor relevant platforms with inputs from the new media wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The social media teams will regularly monitor content relating to their ministries or departments, including their policies, schemes, programmes, decisions and announcements.

Any content that appears fake, misleading, factually incorrect, manipulated, distorted, taken out of context or likely to cause public confusion will be brought to the notice of QRTs, the official said. The teams will verify such information and submit the factual position.

The QRTs will also coordinate with the PIB fact check unit.

Cases involving high virality, significant public interest, sensitive policy matters, potential public harm, legal implications, coordinated misinformation campaigns or inter-ministerial issues will be escalated to the appropriate senior authority, another official said.