Right to Information Act can help curb disinformation, misinformation: CIC

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Prof Dr Nahreen Islam Khan on Sunday said information gaps, secrecy and limited access to reliable sources fuel the spread of misinformation and disinformation, noting that the Right to Information (RTI) Act can play a crucial role in curbing them.

She made the remarks while addressing, as the chief guest, the Information Integrity Conference 2026, organised by Dataful at the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in Dhaka with the theme “Breaking the Web of Disinformation”.

The CIC said information gaps, a tendency to conceal information and a lack of easy access to reliable sources often create opportunities for the spread of disinformation and misinformation.

With the rapid spread of information through social media and digital platforms, it often becomes difficult for ordinary people to distinguish between true, false, misleading and deliberately distorted information, creating confusion and negative impacts at personal, societal and state levels, she added.

"The right to information is itself a human right and an important means of empowering people," Nahreen said, stressing that effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2009 is crucial to ensuring transparency and accountability in government activities and establishing good governance.

She said government officials must work with sincerity, responsibility and a positive mindset to ensure people's right to information.

The CIC stressed the need to raise public awareness about information and called on government institutions to emphasise proactive disclosure of information so that citizens can easily access reliable and accurate data to counter disinformation.

The conference discussed ways to safeguard information integrity, prevent the spread of disinformation and misinformation, and the responsibilities of different stakeholders in addressing the challenges.