Digvijaya demands to regulate fake news

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday demanded the Centre to frame a law to regulate fake news and indecent language on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh said that communal riots and societal divide is being created by the circulation of fake news on social media.

"Studies have shown that fake news is more dangerous than terrorism," he said.

"Many people (tweeting fake news) are followed by big people," he said without naming anyone.

He demanded a comprehensive law so that indecent language and spread of communal poison is checked on social media.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that the issue raised was important but there is a need to evolve a consensus else there will be allegations of trampling freedom of expression.