Prominent Tamil YouTuber Iyan Karthikeyan, who runs a fact-checking channel on the popular video sharing platform, will head the unit. (Photo: @Iyankarthikeyan)
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Tamil Nadu sets up fact checking unit with autonomy to act against complaints
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The Tamil Nadu government has ordered the setting up of a fact checking unit (FCU) to combat the spread of misinformation, hate speech and fake news.
According to a recent Government Order, the unit will comprise 80 staff members, and will be aimed at tackling misleading narratives across all media platforms, with special attention to social media.
Categorised under the Special Programme Implementation Department, the unit will have autonomy to take proactive steps on complaints. It will have a Central Task Force headquartered in Chennai, and information analysts in all districts.
Prominent Tamil YouTuber Iyan Karthikeyan, who runs a fact-checking channel on the popular video sharing platform, will head the unit.
According to the order, the FCU will also disseminate fact-checked information through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
The FCU’s operation involves using “fact-checking tools” and “authentic government sources” to validate information, classifying it into “actionable” or “non-actionable” categories, before referring the questionable content and false information to legal and police authorities for further action.
The order said that an initial investment of Rs 1.42 crore, and an annual expenditure of Rs 3.55 crore has been allocated for the unit, which is designed in line with the Union government’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.
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The Karnataka government has also set up a fact-checking unit. Such moves by governments have faced questions over their potential for curbing free speech.
Taking to X to thank Chief Minister M K Stalin and Special Programme Implementation Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Iyan Karthikeyan quoted UN Secretary General António Guterres as saying that “addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous”.
“I am appointed as mission director for the fact check unit under the administration of SPI, Tamil Nadu…Fighting against Hatred is the job of everyone!” Karthikeyan said in his post.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
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