BENGALURU: The Cabinet on Thursday proposed the Karnataka Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, to prohibit misinformation and fake news in the state.
The bill will be tabled at the next cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil informed. As per the draft bill, fake news includes combinations of misquotes or false and/or inaccurate report of one’s statement. Editing audio or video clips which result in distortion of facts and/or the context; purely or juridical, organized or unorganized, that utilizes social media content. It includes a person or group of persons, natural or juridical, organized or unorganized, who utilize social media platforms to send messages and/or information through social media accounts, verified or under a pseudonym, fictitious or false account/page name.
The State government shall ensure complete prohibition of fake news on social media platforms, and constitute the Fake News on Social Media Regulatory Authority to implement the Act. The Authority shall comprise the minister for Kannada and Culture, information and broadcasting as ex-officio chairperson; one member each from the Karnataka Assembly and Council to be nominated by the presiding officers; two representatives of social media platforms to be appointed by the state government, and an IAS officer as secretary.
Social media users found guilty of posting fake news shall be punished with imprisonment of up to seven years and fine of up to Rs 10 lakh or both.
Relook at KAT
The Cabinet decided to take a relook at the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) system, after deliberating on its nature of functioning. Law Minister HK Patil told reporters: “There have been discussions and outcries about the functioning of KAT. The government is thinking about the functioning of the tribunal.”
Recently, KAT had annulled the Karnataka Public Service Commission notification to recruit 384 gazetted probationers, citing violation of 50 per cent cap on reservation set by the Supreme Court.