The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has advised social media platforms to step up checks on false, misleading and manipulated content being circulated in connection with ongoing public events.

The advisory comes amid concerns over the circulation of misleading and manipulated information on social media that could create confusion or affect public order.

MeitY said such content could create public confusion, cause apprehension, disturb public order and social tranquillity, and contribute to law-and-order concerns.

In its advisory, the ministry asked social media companies to exercise greater caution over information that is false, misleading or manipulated and could adversely affect public order.

The ministry has also asked platforms to take appropriate steps to identify, prevent and not promote content that is prohibited under the IT Rules.

The advisory is aimed at content circulated through various social media platforms, including material that may be manipulated, synthetically generated or presented without proper context.

Social media companies have been advised to prioritise complaints from authorised government agencies about content that could have implications for public order and take appropriate action.

The advisory further asks platforms to identify and appropriately label or provide context for manipulated, synthetically generated or misleading content.

This includes content that may have been created or altered using synthetic media or other manipulation techniques, making it harder for users to distinguish genuine information from misleading material.

MeitY has also asked social media companies to cooperate with law-enforcement agencies in a timely manner.

The advisory does not itself amount to a blanket ban on social media content.

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