537 fact-checks, 18 FIRs in 90-day trial of fake news tackling unit

Karnataka’s first government-sponsored fight against fake news has ended after a 90-day trial in which authorities combed 64,000 articles per day on the internet, resulting in at least 18 FIRs and some lessons to tighten the system further.

The government’s Information Disorder Tackling Unit (IDTU) started operations quietly during the Lok Sabha election through its website satya.karnataka.gov.in

A total of 537 fact-checks were done, which took six hours on average. Of them, 500 were deemed ‘threats’. 

At least two FIRs were related to falsities spread about BJP and its leaders. One FIR was against people targeting the JD(S). But most FIRs were filed in cases related to disinformation targeting Congress and its leaders, according to details accessed by DH. 

Politics and elections accounted for 54 per cent of all the fact-checking that was done. 

The IDTU is likely to resume operations after technical upgrades, which will include refining procedures on legal action and enhanced citizen participation. 

“We got to know the scale, issues and process. What should be the procedure when there’s misinformation or disinformation? We have a healthy balance of analytics, use of borderline artificial intelligence and traditional long-term research,” IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge, who anchored the fact-checking project, said. 

A media house named after slain journalist Gauri Lankesh was among five companies selected to run the IDTU. Gauri Media, Logically Infomedia Pvt Ltd and Newsplus Communications did fact-checking during the 90-day trial while Trylika Technology Ltd did analytics. OW DataLeads did not participate as the trial did not have the capacity-building component for which it was selected. 

The exercise scanned the internet for threats. Logically Infomedia Pvt Ltd alone scanned 84.47 lakh social media and news items of interest. Of them, 1.82 lakh were classified as threats.

“Any content that would disrupt social order was deemed as a threat. For example, there was some matter on cow vigilantism in Shivamogga, which was flagged,” Priyank said.

Priyank disagreed with the notion that the fact-checking exercise was self-serving to the Congress. “This wasn’t planned for the election. It should’ve started before the polls. The trial period was a heavily politically-volatile environment,” he said. “Once it is institutionalised and if the BJP is in power, will it be seen as self-serving to them too?”

A 9-member multi-departmental coordination committee constituted in March was to have one person representing civil society. This nomination is pending.