Misinformation
Also called: Fake news · Topic: Democracy: Forms of Government, Principles and Outcomes · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 6 "Democracy"; Class 9, Ch 7 "Elections"
Meaning
Misinformation is false or misleading content that spreads widely, especially on social media. It can distort public opinion and voting, and can even spark violence. It is a growing threat to free and fair elections. Fighting it must still respect free speech under Art. 19(1)(a), so laws against it cannot be vague or too broad.
Example
In Shreya Singhal (2015), the Supreme Court struck down s.66A of the IT Act because it punished vaguely "offensive" online posts. In Kunal Kamra (2024), the Bombay High Court struck down the government's 2023 fact-check unit. The Election Commission has also issued advisories on deepfakes and AI-made campaign content.
Don't confuse with
- Censorship: misinformation is a problem of false content. Censorship is the state blocking content, and courts limit it to protect free speech.