Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday, June 27, said that the state government is planning to put in place stringent legal measures to tackle fake news. The Minister also said that punishments will be meted out to those who start spreading fake news. Speaking to the media, Parameshwara said that they have “borne the brunt” of fake news to the run of the recent Assembly elections and added that a mechanism needed to be in place to tackle it.
Talking about the dangers of not keeping fake news in check, Parameshwara said, “If we don’t come up with a preventive mechanism, it may pose a threat to society’s well-being in the long run.” The Home Minister also said that if required, the government will make amendments to existing laws to ensure that fake news is kept in check.
Drawing attention to how with technological advancements, laws might also need to be replaced. Parameshwara said, “There are cyber laws. But technology is changing rapidly and in the coming days, cyber laws might need to be replaced or abandoned depending on the pace of the advancement of technology.”
Speaking about the Bitcoin scam, Parameshwara said that Bengaluru city police commissioner is of the opinion that the scam must be probed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He emphasised that the state government will also re-investigate the Bitcoin scam and expose those involved in the scam.