New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): The government will hold consultations with stakeholders on the proposed amendments in the IT rules pertaining to curbing misinformation, on January 24.

The rules have been drafted to ensure fact checking and prevent misinformation or patently false and untrue or misleading information on social media and other intermediary platforms.

The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) had earlier invited comments from both stakeholders and general public on the new IT rules.

It had also earlier initiated public consultation on amendments proposed to IT rules in relation to online gaming, for which the last date was January 17, 2023.

This has now been extended to January 25, 2023.

In addition to this, government has also sought comments and suggestions on both the above-mentioned amendments from the general public by January 25, 2023.

"The amendment proposed to rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ('IT Rules') with respect to obligations of social media and other intermediaries regarding sharing of information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature," an official statement said.

Earlier, the ministry had notified the IT Rules, 2021 to provide that social media and other intermediaries shall observe due diligence by making reasonable efforts to cause their users not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature.

Under the proposed amendment, the due diligence by intermediaries shall include making such efforts to not upload, publish, transmit or share information identified as fake or false by the Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau, which takes cognizance of fake information both suo motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and WhatsApp and responds with correct information when the same pertains to the government.