New Delhi: A parliamentary standing committee has flagged regulatory gaps with regard to online media and OTT platforms and recommended the formulation of a comprehensive regulatory framework to address misinformation and harmful content. While the union government’s central Fact Check Unit remains under judicial review, the panel has recommended that the Press Information Bureau (PIB)’s Fact-Check Unit (FCU) be strengthened. It has also recommended using artificial intelligence for real time monitoring of misinformation trends and improved coordination with social media platforms to facilitate faster identification and removal of content in view of “increasing spread of misinformation and manipulated content across various media platforms”. The committee report noted that during Operation Sindoor last year, around 1,400 URLs were blocked as the PIB’s Fact Check Unit worked “round the clock to curb fake news.”The recommendations have been made by the parliamentary standing committee on communications and information and technology led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey which tabled its Twenty Sixth Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in parliament on Tuesday (March 17). ‘Use of artificial intelligence tools for real-time monitoring of misinformation trends’In the report, the committee has said that in light of the role and mandate of the PIB-FCU, the panel is of the view that “the increasing spread of misinformation and manipulated content across various media platforms necessitates strengthening of institutional mechanisms for timely verification, quick detection and blocking of fake news, harmful content and dissemination of authentic information.”Accordingly the committee has recommended enhancing the outreach and accessibility of the PIB-FCU through wider public awareness campaigns and improved coordination with social media platforms. It has also recommended enhancement of technological capabilities, “including the use of artificial intelligence tools for real-time monitoring of misinformation trends, “improved coordination with social media platforms to facilitate faster identification and removal of misleading content”.‘Blocking orders are continuously being issued’The ministry, meanwhile, has informed the committee that its mandate under the IT Act and the Intermediary Guidelines deals with IT content and media content connected with news and media outlets and to that extent “they make use of the relevant provisions for removing content under certain considerations.”The ministry admitted to the “existence of regulatory gaps in respect of online media and OTT platforms.” It further informed the committee that in the last year 25 OTT platforms were blocked initially, and subsequently another 18 platforms were blocked on the basis of Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Section 4 of the ‘Indecent Representation of Women Act. “At present, blocking orders are continuously being issued against OTT apps and content circulating in online media,” the report said.The Wire reported last month after accessing the user manual of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) Sahyog portal for IT intermediaries – that lays down the Union government’s takedown mechanism for content online – that takedown orders are now a direct communication between government and social media companies. The manual makes it clear that orders on the portal are unilateral, and a direct correspondence between government agencies and intermediaries like social media platforms and telecom providers. A second manual meant for government agencies, including police, lays down how to use Sahyog to take down online content in bulk quantities and upload FIRs with almost no application of mind.‘Worked round the clock to curb fake news’The committee report noted that the PIB is the nodal agency of the Union government to disseminate information through print, electronic and social media on government policies and programmes, initiatives and achievements, and that the FCU was set up in 2019. The committee was told that the mandate of the PIB FCU is to provide the official or authentic version of any news doing the rounds on various media platforms by making available factually correct information in the public domain.“Briefing about the Fact Check Unit of PIB, the Ministry informed that during Operation Sindoor, the Fact Check Unit of PIB worked round the clock to curb fake news, quickly detected and issued swift rebuttals to edited videos, misinformation, and propaganda and around 1,400 URLs were blocked,” the report said.“The Committee are informed that the central Fact-Check Unit which falls under the guidelines of the Information Technology (IT) Act, is under judicial review. However, a Fact Check Unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) is currently functional.”The Supreme Court on March 10 refused to stay the Bombay high court’s decision striking down the notification responsible for the setting up of the controversial FCU. The apex court sought ‘balance’ between protecting the nation against fake online content and safeguarding the right to free speech while the Union government said that its Information Technology Rules was not meant to curb humour, satire or criticism of the government.‘Expanded’The parliamentary committee however, in its report recommended that the FCU’s capacity be expanded with quantifiable targets including trained personnel for regional languages and publishing quarterly transparency reports on “misinformation identified, corrective action taken, and engagement with media platforms.”“Formulate a comprehensive regulatory framework to effectively address issues relating to misinformation, harmful content and public grievances related to it, coordinate with other Ministries and MeitY to close regulatory gaps; and develop a structured grievance redressal mechanism for online and OTT content, integrating Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and existing civil redress provisions,” the recommendations said.