ECI Directives on Ethical use of Social Media Platforms (SMPs)

The Election Commission of India issues directives to address Ethical use of Social Media Platforms (SMPs) during Lok Sabha election campaigning related to social media misuse.

Key Directives by ECI:

• Political parties must comply with MCC guidelines which restrict criticisms to policies, past records, and work, avoiding attacks on private lives.
• Parties are instructed to remove deepfake content from social media platforms (SMPs) within three hours of identification.
• They must report any unlawful information and fake user accounts detected on social media.
• ECI emphasized the adherence to Section 123(4) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which deems publishing false statements about a candidate’s personal character or conduct as a corrupt practice.
• The directive also includes Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with statements promoting enmity between different groups and carries a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.
• Party members responsible for posting misleading or false content must be identified and warned as per the ECI’s guidelines.

Concerns Related to Misuse of Social Media in Elections

• There is a significant concern regarding the potential of social media to sway voters’ opinions and erode trust in the electoral process through the dissemination of manipulated content.
• The use of AI-based tools to create deepfakes can distort information or propagate misinformation, impacting the integrity of elections.
• The legal framework governing the regulation of misinformation using deepfakes underlines the responsibility of political entities to uphold the authenticity and truthfulness of electoral content.
• Misuse of social media platforms during elections poses challenges to maintaining a fair and transparent electoral environment, necessitating stringent regulatory measures from the ECI to prevent such abuses.

Ref: Source