NEW DELHI: Government departments are constituting Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to ensure timely action against fake, misleading and factually incorrect content circulating on social media, an official said on Sunday.
The move is aimed at strengthening the government’s ability to monitor digital platforms, verify questionable claims and issue prompt factual responses to rumours, misinformation and manipulated content relating to government policies and functioning.
According to officials, ministries and departments have been asked to engage with people on social media in a constructive manner and ensure that misleading content is addressed without delay.
Departments including power, agriculture and commerce have already constituted their QRTs.
“Ideally, the response from the ministries should go in two hours of noting such content,” an official said.
Social media and digital media teams of the respective ministries will regularly monitor online content concerning their policies, schemes, programmes, decisions and announcements. They will also receive appropriate inputs from the New Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Any post or content found to be fake, misleading, factually incorrect, manipulated, distorted, taken out of context or likely to create public confusion will be immediately brought to the notice of the concerned QRT.
The teams will verify the information, prepare the factual position and coordinate an official response. They will also work with the PIB Fact Check Unit where required.
Officials said cases involving high virality, significant public interest, sensitive policy issues, potential public harm, legal implications, coordinated misinformation campaigns or matters involving multiple ministries would be escalated to the appropriate senior authorities.
The initiative is intended to create a faster and more coordinated mechanism within the government for dealing with misinformation and ensuring that verified information reaches the public quickly.
