Leaked draft of fake news bill sparks legal concerns, govt to rework it | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The govt is set to revise its proposed Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, after a leaked draft triggered widespread criticism and raised questions over legal tenability. The redrafted version is expected to be tabled during the monsoon session of the legislature next month.Officials said the current draft is undergoing “inter-departmental scrutiny,” with both IT-BT and home departments reviewing provisions — especially some penal clauses which have been flagged for their “harshness”. “In its present form, the bill is untenable and would invite a lot of legal scrutiny,” said an official in the IT-BT department.With growing concerns from civil society and legal experts, the govt appears to be treading cautiously to ensure the revised legislation is constitutionally sound and does not infringe on freedom of expression.Sources say parts of the draft were prepared by “ill-informed” and “overzealous” individuals in the govt, while other sections were “lifted” directly from the Union govt’s 2019 Fake News (Prohibition) Bill.“For instance, it states the ministers who will head the authority are Kannada and culture and minister for information and broadcasting. State govts do not have a department of information and broadcasting. It is only the central govt. Also, the penalty of Rs 10 lakh is also taken from the central govt bill,” said personnel.One glaring example of duplication officials said is Section 15 of the draft, which deals with offences committed by companies. This section has been reproduced verbatim from Section 7 of the 2019 Union bill.The bill also drew flak for an alleged “overzealous” clause proposing a seven-year jail term for “publication of content amounting to disrespect of Sanatan symbols and beliefs on social media platforms”. Sources say this specific provision was among the most controversial and is likely to be dropped or reworded.IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge confirmed that the bill is being re-evaluated. “We will present it in the legislature only after a thorough scrutiny and consultation process,” he said.To allay fears of media censorship, officials are also considering empanelling media professionals in the proposed regulatory authority. This move is aimed at reassuring media houses that their editorial independence will not be compromised.