Lok Sabha elections 2019| Challenge to keep a check on social media ads: Poll officer
The discussion was organised in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls 2019, which will be conducted in seven phases across the country. Delhi will go to the polls on May 12.
Lack of an adequate legal framework, jurisdictional issues and anonymous users are some of the challenges in regulating political campaigning on social media, said officials at a panel discussion organised on the issue in the capital on Thursday.
The discussion was organised in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls 2019, which will be conducted in seven phases across the country. Delhi will go to the polls on May 12.
Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said despite having a committee on pre-certification of social media ads, it is difficult to keep a check on various platforms, in particular, during the 48 hour ‘silent period’ before the polling begins.
The Election Commission has recently constituted the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for pre-certification of social media advertisements.
“We have made elaborate arrangements for monitoring of social media and have hired specialists from a PSU for the job. However, issues of jurisdiction, as headquarters of most of these platforms are based outside the country. Also, there should be a legal framework, which calls for a different degree of evidence to control incidences of fake news,” said Singh.
The discussion was organised jointly by the east and south district election officers (DEOs).
Former CEC SY Quraishi participated in the discussion. He said, “The monitoring of paid political advertisements on social media and poll expenditure by candidates are two issues that must be taken note of for fair elections.”
Talking about the recent controversy on the biopic of PM Narendra Modi, he said, the EC has taken note of it and a high level committee has been constituted to enquire into it.
