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Amid growing speculation and concern over Karnataka’s proposed law to tackle fake news, state IT Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday, June 27, that the Departments of Law, Home, and IT will hold consultations before a final draft is prepared for implementation.
He said, “A lot of friends from the media have been seeking clarifications” and that there is “a lot of misinformation on the proposed Misinformation Bill in public.”
The draft Karnataka Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, placed before the state Cabinet, proposes stringent action against the creation and circulation of false or misleading content, particularly on digital platforms. The law seeks to criminalise misinformation that endangers public health, safety, law and order or the electoral process.
The Bill allows the state to block content it deems anti-feminist, obscene, or disrespectful of “Sanatan symbols,” and proposes the establishment of a regulatory authority and special courts with powers to enforce these rules.
Under the draft, individuals found guilty of spreading harmful misinformation can face two to five years in jail, while those posting fake news on social media can be imprisoned for up to seven years and fined up to Rs 10 lakh. Abetment of such offences also attracts a two-year jail term.
The proposed definitions exclude satire, parody, opinion, and artistic expression that a reasonable person would not consider factual. Platforms and companies may also be held accountable for content shared on their networks.
IT Minister Priyank Kharge has been at the forefront of Karnataka’s efforts to combat fake news and misinformation. The state government has already set up the Information Disorder Tackling Unit (IDTU), a fact-checking initiative that conducted a 90-day pilot through its website satya.karnataka.gov.in.
In October last year, the government constituted a high-level committee chaired by Home Minister G Parameshwara to formalise and institutionalise a fact-checking mechanism. Priyank Kharge serves as the co-chair of this committee.
Digital rights advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has urged the Karnataka government to reconsider the draft Karnataka Mis-information and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, warning that its provisions could lead to partisan or selective enforcement and pose a threat to free speech.