The Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the implementation of a government notification establishing the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Checking Unit (PIB FCU). This decision came after petitions were filed by the Editors Guild of India and comedian Kunal Kamra. The court’s stay order remains in effect until the Bombay High Court’s third judge rules on the legality of a specific provision in the Information Technology Rules. Critics argue that the unit could stifle free speech and lead to self-censorship by social media intermediaries. The Solicitor General defended the need for the FCU, citing instances of fake news causing harm. The Supreme Court’s intervention signals a pause in the government’s fact-checking initiative pending further legal scrutiny.