The Need to Regulate Fake News on Digital Platforms

Abstract

“79% of the news you read online is fake” There, caught your attention, didn’t I? This is exactly how fake news is proliferated online. Fake news and hoaxes have been in existence from time immemorial. However, with the advent of internet, its rapid dissemination is generously facilitated by the internet. Fake news has taken various forms online, such as WhatsApp forwards, news with click bait headlines, and of late, at the onset of the global pandemic, it was termed as “Infodemic”, a plague of fake news. The proliferation of fake news by perpetrators is done tactfully by luring the public into believing their news, often replacing the true facts with fabricated statements and this can be perilous to the public’s perception of the daily updates. The eradication as well the regulation of such news becomes difficult as they are usually framed indistinguishable from the real news. This article emphasises the need to regulate such fake news online. Furthermore, it analyses the impact of the regulation on individual’s fundamental right. It also aims to lay down the consequences of the dissemination of fake news and the solutions to combat the same. It further deals with how various groups of the society can do their part in breaking the chain of fake news