Won't notify fact checking unit for fake news against govt till Jul 5: Govt

The Union government told the Bombay High Court on Thursday that it will not notify till July 5, 2023 a fact checking unit to identify fake news against the government on social media under the recently amended Information Technology Rules.

A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale accepted the statement and said since the amended rules would be inoperable in the absence of a fact checking unit, no urgent hearing was required on stay of the rules as sought by stand-up comic Kunal Kamra.

The bench posted the petition filed by Kamra, challenging the constitutional validity of the rules, for hearing on June 8.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the Union government, told the HC that the fact checking unit would not be notified till July 5, 2023 so that the court could hear the matter in June when it reopens after the summer vacation.

Kamra's counsel Darius Khambata insisted the court hear the matter for interim relief on Thursday itself and argued