DNA Edit: General Election - Social media is going to be strictly under the lens

Political parties and their star campaigners better watch out in the run up to the general election.

When they post content on social media, particularly from verified accounts, they would be advised to keep in mind the 48-hour ‘silent period’ before polling to avoid violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Social media, which was not such a big phenomenon in 2014, has grown by leaps and bounds in the intervening period. While it was regarded as generally effective in the last general election, today social media has the potential to cause divisions, create riotous situations and trigger blood feuds.

What has added to the problem, in a democracy like India, is that there are virtually no laws to regulate social media. The government will therefore talk to intermediaries like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Google, YouTube, and Snapchat, asking them to respond to any misuse of their platforms within a time frame.

The CEC, at his briefing, has already made it clear that the Model Code of Conduct would apply to content posted by candidates, who would be required to provide details of their social media accounts. This idea of a ‘voluntary compliance’ seems to have come from the government and related ministries.

In turn, social media platforms have assured the Election Commission that they would soon appoint grievance officers to take ‘necessary and prompt’ action against poll-related violations and impose curbs on fake news. 

The seriousness with which the government is looking to impose its own version of a  guideline can be judged from the wide-ranging nature of the exercise. The Internet and Mobile Association of India has told the commission that it is formulating its own code of conduct. Both the intermediaries and verified users are going to be requested to strictly adhere to guidelines.