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. 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.
