The authorities of Kyrgyzstan decided to set up the State Centre for Research on the Information Environment that will counter misinformation and fake news, Sputnik reports.
The Centre is tasked to ensure the rights and freedoms of citizens, protect them against unreliable information and strengthen information security of the Republic. The Centre will be set up under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and conduct systematic research in the online space and media in Kyrgyzstan, monitoring of news, messages and online discussions, analysis of the spread of disinformation and fake news and assessment of potential threats in the information space. The Centre will also develop recommendations for countering disinformation.
The establishment of the Centre comes amid a recent incident in which false information about the alleged poor nutrition of the Kyrgyz athletes at the Olympic Games had spread on social media. Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov urged to amend the laws to counter the spread of fake news.
