#GoodNews: To Fight Fake News, Govt to Create Awareness Among Kids

The government will use its network in gram panchayats to reach out to the masses to curb the menace of fake news.

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The government has decided to counter fake news by educating schoolchildren about social media besides fixing the responsibility on platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and others, reported Hindustan Times.

The government will use its network in gram panchayats to reach out to the masses and use tech savvy children to curb the menace of fake news.

An official from the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, on condition of anonymity, told HT, “The idea is that children who are tech savvy can play a major role in that as they have significant influence on their families.”

The source added that this was in line with the ongoing awareness campaign by MeitY, which aims at enforcing a law against propagating fake news and creating awareness about the issue.

In the recent past, rumours circulating on social media platforms have triggered at least a few incidents of lynchings across India. The Home Ministry had issued advisories against this in 2018.

The government had also asked social media platforms for “more effective solutions” and accountability for law enforcement.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)