BENGALURU: The Cabinet on Thursday proposed the Karnataka Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, to prohibit misinformation and fake news in the state.

The bill will be tabled at the next cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil informed. As per the draft bill, fake news includes combinations of misquotes or false and/or inaccurate report of one’s statement. Editing audio or video clips which result in distortion of facts and/or the context; purely or juridical, organized or unorganized, that utilizes social media content. It includes a person or group of persons, natural or juridical, organized or unorganized, who utilize social media platforms to send messages and/or information through social media accounts, verified or under a pseudonym, fictitious or false account/page name.

The State government shall ensure complete prohibition of fake news on social media platforms, and constitute the Fake News on Social Media Regulatory Authority to implement the Act. The Authority shall comprise the minister for Kannada and Culture, information and broadcasting as ex-officio chairperson; one member each from the Karnataka Assembly and Council to be nominated by the presiding officers; two representatives of social media platforms to be appointed by the state government, and an IAS officer as secretary.