Indian government asks social media firms to control Coronavirus fake news

Bengaluru: The Indian government has written to top social media companies including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, ShareChat and Twitter, to control the spread of misinformation on Covid 19, popularly known as Coronavirus.

In an advisory sent on Friday, the government asked social media platforms to start awareness campaigns, remove misinformation from the platform and promote authentic information on the virus.

ET has a copy of the advisory.


“All social media companies are working closely on the issue but we want them to be particular about removing misinformation. We want them to promote authentic content and remove fake news,” a senior government official told ET on condition of anonymity.

The government in its advisory said that the coronavirus the outbreak has become a global concern and it has been reported that there is a trend of circulation of misinformation and sharing anonymous data related to the virus, creating panic among the public.

It urged social media platforms to initiate awareness campaigns on the platforms for users to not upload or circulate false news concerning coronavirus, which is likely to create panic and disturb social tranquility.

It also asked the companies take immediate action to disable and remove such content and promote dissemination of authentic information related to the virus.