‘Myth vs Reality’: EC lays down steps to curb fake news

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday announced a host of steps to combat the spread of fake news and misinformation on social media during the Lok Sabha elections, including launching a “Myth vs Reality” project, using the Information Technology (IT) Act to take down unlawful content, and setting up a standard operating procedure for Quick Response against fake news.

Announcing the schedule for elections to the 18th Lok Sabha, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar highlighted the significance of the IT Act to take down fake social media posts.

“Under Section 69[A] and Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, authorised authority of each state is empowered to ask for takedown of the social media posts. In almost all states, authorised officials have been appointed or are being appointed. In each district, we have done thorough training on how to deal with this menace,” he said.

He added that the poll body will also monitor TV news, social media, webcasts from polling booths, complaints received on its helpline — 1950 — to tackle electoral violence through 24X7 integrated control booths set up in all districts.

The poll body, he said, has resolved to launch a “Myth vs Reality” project on its website to deal with common fake narratives related to the electoral process such as getting registered on the electoral roll, etc.

“If someone is trying to set a fake narrative that is disturbing the level-playing field or disrupting the law and order, we will also join them. We will soon launch a ‘Myth vs Reality’ project to clear the air around fake news spreading on social media,” he said, asserting that while people have the freedom to criticise on social media but “you should not be allowed to create fake news which is not based on facts because it can disturb the order”.

Calling social media a “jhooth ka bazaar” (marketplace of lies), Kumar urged people to “Verify before you amplify”.

“Remember, ‘Verify Before You Amplify’ is the mantra to combat fake news. Let us rely on authoritative sources to ensure accurate information prevails. Stay vigilant and help us maintain the integrity of the electoral process,” he said.

In a press release, EC said: “An SOP for identification and quick response to any fake news/misinformation had been shared with CEOs and DEOs of all the States/UTs for time bound response... Social media Cell in collaboration with cyber cell unit in all districts have been constituted for quick response and action with the legal framework.”

Besides these steps, the poll body has also mandated pre-certification of all political advertisements across all electronic media –- TV channels, radio, cinema halls, any audio-visual displays in public places, voice messages and bulk SMS over phone, social media, websites –- from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMC), which work at district and state level.

The announcement of elections has also enacted the Voluntary Code of Ethics, which aims to ensure free, fair & ethical usage of Social Media Platforms to maintain the integrity of the electoral process. The code was voluntarily agreed upon by the participants, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Google, ShareChat and TikTok, through industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in March 2019.

As per this code, the signatories must acknowledge and process reports from EC within three hours.

Recently, Google joined hands with ECI to prevent the spread of false information, promote authorised content and label AI-generated data during the upcoming elections.

Google in a blog post said, “We are collaborating with ECI to enable people to easily discover critical voting information on Google Search - such as how to register and how to vote - in both English and Hindi.”