Karnataka govt drops 'fake news' clause in latest draft law on misinformation regulation

Bengaluru: The Congress government seems to have dropped its contentious plan of regulating “fake news” going by the latest draft of a law that now seeks to tackle ‘misinformation’ only. 

Titled Karnataka Misinformation Regulation Bill, 2025, the draft law does not even mention fake news. The earlier draft was titled Karnataka Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill. 

According to sources, the scrutiny committee headed by Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil has cleared the Karnataka Misinformation Regulation Bill, which is likely to be placed before the Cabinet. 

The earlier draft had stoked widespread concerns over the manner in which the government wanted to curb fake news. 

Under the earlier draft, a Fake News on Social Media Regulatory Authority was to “ensure complete ban” on fake news. Social media users found guilty of posting fake news were to face up to seven years imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rs 10 lakh.

The current draft has dropped all sections related to fake news, including prohibition of “anti-feminism” content and “disrespect of Sanatan symbols”.

Even on misinformation, the latest draft has watered down penal provisions. For instance, the minimum jail term for spreading misinformation is now three months and not two years as proposed earlier.

The maximum jail term is five years. Abetting the spread of misinformation will attract up to two years’ jail and a fine.

The earlier draft defined communication as dissemination of information to one or more persons in Karnataka. This has been redefined as dissemination to 10 or more persons.

However, the definition of misinformation has been retained: “Knowingly or recklessly making a false or inaccurate statement of fact, whether wholly or in part, in the context in which it appears excluding opinions, religious or philosophical sermons, satire, comedy or parody or any other form of artistic expression if a reasonable man of ordinary prudence does not pursue such communications as statements of fact.”

The current draft, like its predecessor, prevents people outside or inside the state from “communicating misinformation...that disrupts public tranquillity or the conduct of free and fair elections in the whole or any part of Karnataka or incites others to commit an offence.” The proposal to set up special courts for faster trial is retained.

They will have powers to issue ‘correction’ and ‘disabling’ directions to media houses. Not obeying the court directions attract up to two years imprisonment and a daily fine of Rs 25,000.