New Delhi, Dec 1: Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Friday said dissemination of fake news drowns out true information and added disinformation has the power to impair democratic discourse. Speaking at the 14th Justice VM Tarkunde Memorial Lecture on the topic “Upholding Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Privacy, Surveillance and Free Speech”, the CJI said the goal of fake news is to erode the stability of foundational elements of society namely truth.
“Simply by virtue of the scale of dissemination, fake news drowns out true information, replacing the character of discourse from truth-seeking to the loudest voice,” the CJI said. “Disinformation, therefore, has the power of impairing democratic discourse forever, pushing a marketplace of free ideas to the point of collapse under the immense weight of fake stories,” he added. The CJI said a cursory glance at the newspaper every day will bring to the fore instances of communal and vigilante violence fuelled by fake rumours and targeted disinformation campaigns.
Across the globe – be it Libya, the Philippines, Germany or the United States – the elections and civil society have been tarnished by the proliferation of fake news, the CJI said.
“I remember that while the country was faced with the tragic COVID-19 pandemic, the internet was rife with the most outrageous fake news and rumours – a source of comic relief in difficult times, but also forcing us to rethink the limits of free speech on the internet,” he added. The CJI said privacy in the digital age is not just a matter of data protection but it is a fundamental right that “we must actively champion”. Contending the struggle to protect privacy is a global endeavour, he said the courts worldwide grapple with the challenges posed by technological advancements while highlighting the crucial need for legal frameworks.
Elaborating the cons of technology, the CJI said Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) represents a marvel of technological innovation, but its application raises significant privacy and discrimination concerns.
“Studies reveal inherent biases within FRT algorithms, especially in identifying darker-skinned women, ethnic minorities, and transgender individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic accentuated these concerns with controversies surrounding FRT’s use in health data management,” he added. The CJI dispelled the claim that economic status and access to welfare entitlements are more important than civil and political rights for socio-economically disadvantaged communities. All individuals regardless of their socio-economic status are deeply impacted by violations of the right to privacy, autonomy and intimacy, he said. (PTI)
