India’s top editors’ body slams proposed ‘fake news’ rules

Rights groups and activists have raised concerns over dwindling press freedom and rising intimidation of journalists by the government [File: Dado Ruvic/Reuters]

The Editors Guild of India (EGI), India’s premier body for protecting press freedom, has urged the government to reject a proposal to combat fake news on social media, saying it would be akin to censorship.

“Determination of fake news cannot be in the sole hands of the government and will result in the censorship of the press”, the editor’s group said in a statement on Wednesday.