CHENNAI: The future of the State government's fact-check unit has become uncertain following the change in regime, with contractual staff attached to the unit now seeking alternative assignments in other government departments.
The fact-check unit was established during the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government to counter misinformation and provide verified information to media organisations and the public on social media platforms.
The unit functioned under the Information and Public Relations Department and reportedly had around 30 members, including social media professionals and digital communication experts.
Officials said the team was involved in identifying and responding to misinformation circulating online and issued clarifications on several sensitive issues during the previous regime.
One of the notable interventions by the unit was during the controversy surrounding alleged attacks on migrant workers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu, when the fact-check team issued clarifications countering misleading claims circulated on social media.
However, after the change in government, the unit's future remains undecided, with no formal announcement yet on whether it will continue functioning under the new administration led by Chief Minister Vijay.
Sources said several contractual staff members attached to the unit are now exploring opportunities in other government-linked digital and social media teams.
"We were appointed on a contractual basis, and our term will be concluded only in August. The government should either continue the unit or redeploy the workforce to other departments on contract," a staff member associated with the unit said.
Officials in the Secretariat said no final decision has been taken yet on whether to continue or restructure the fact-check mechanism under the new government.