Election Commission Tightens Rules on Fake Content & AI Posts During Poll Code!

The Election Commission of India has issued a key directive during the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry. Political parties have been instructed to remove fake or misleading content from social media platforms within three hours of it being flagged. Since the announcement of the election schedule on March 15, the Commission has identified and acted against over 11,000 fake posts and URLs, reinforcing its commitment to maintaining transparency and fairness in the electoral process.

The Commission also reported that 3,10,393 complaints related to Model Code violations were resolved through the cVigil app, with nearly 96.01% addressed within 100 minutes of reporting. Citizens, political parties, and candidates actively used the platform to report violations. Additionally, strict guidelines have been issued mandating clear labelling of AI-generated or digitally altered content, along with disclosure of the publishing entity. Authorities are closely monitoring posts that may disrupt law and order, and a mandatory 48-hour silence period before polling has been enforced, during which no campaigning is allowed across any media platforms.