New Delhi, May 6: Ahead of the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and to maintain fairness and integrity in electoral processes, the Election Commission of India directed the political parties to responsibly utilize social media platforms during election campaigning.
The ECI aims to ensure a level playing field among all stakeholders & emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct cautioned against the misuse of Artificial Intelligence tools to create deep fakes, which can distort information and spread misinformation.
Political parties have been reminded of the legal framework governing the regulation of misinformation and impersonation, including the Information Technology Act, of 2000, the Indian Penal Code, and provisions of the Representation of People Act of 1950 and 1951.
Political parties have been urged to refrain from circulating deep fake audios and videos, disseminating patently false information, or posting derogatory content, particularly targeting women.
Additionally, ECI added that the use of children in campaigns and depictions of violence or harm to animals has to be avoided & Parties have been mandated to promptly remove any objectionable content within three hours of identification, admonish the individuals responsible within their ranks, and report unlawful information and fake user accounts to respective platforms.
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