Fact: check or mate? States embrace fact check units amid freedom of speech concerns

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Tamil Nadu has followed suit. To combat misinformation, different state governments in the country are setting up FCUs. This is even as the central government notification under the IT Rules 2023 to set up an FCU was challenged by comedian Kunal Kamra, and is stayed until the Bombay High Court pronounces its judgment. The matter is listed for December 1 this year.
The decision to set up such units at the central and state government levels has been criticised, with many fearing that they might impede on freedom of speech and expression. But governments at both levels have contested these claims.

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Darshan HV, Karnataka’s director of the department of electronics, IT and biotechnology, made it clear that they want to “do something positive with respect to misinformation”.
“Even with so many misinformation tackling units working — private, non-profit and non-government organisations, there is still misinformation going on. That is why the government wants to take proactive steps,” Darshan told ET.
But signatories to the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN), a community of fact checkers around the world, have expressed their inability to do so.
IFCN signatory status is not granted to organisations whose editorial work is controlled by the state, a political party or politician, they said. Jency Jacob, managing editor, BOOM, a fact-checking website and one of the first Indian organisations to be certified by the IFCN, told ET, “We have made our position very clear. We are not