The West Bengal government is working on a new law to tackle the menace of fake news and posts on social media, a move which comes against the backdrop of such posts stirring trouble and unrest in many parts of the country.
A Home Department official told PTI that the state government intends to bring more clarity on the nature of the offence and punishment for those responsible for spreading fake news and posting morphed photographs with an aim to disrupt peace and communal harmony or spread hatred in society.
The state government has been preparing a data bank on fake news circulated on social media in West Bengal and other parts of the country in the past couple of years besides, keeping records of past offenders while framing the new law, he said. The new legislation comes after several reports of fake news circulation surfacing in the state during the last couple of years. The recent incidents in Shillong, Godda in Jharkhand and Karbi Anglong district of Assam have added to the concern.
