New Delhi, May 6 (Agency) Taking cognizance of the certain violations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by political parties and their representatives on social media, the Election Commission on Monday issued directions to them for responsible and ethical use of social media in election campaigning to ensure level playing field among all stakeholders. The poll body issued directions a day before polling of the third phase of Lok Sabha election.
On Thursday, Delhi High Court, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to swiftly address a plea requesting the commission to intervene and halt the proliferation of deep fake videos. Petitioners, a group of lawyers, expressed grave concerns over the rapid spread of manipulated videos and their potential to mislead the public during the Lok Sabha Election. The Commission warned the parties against misuse of AI based tools to create deep fakes that distort information or propagate misinformation, emphasising the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process. “The ECI has brought to the notice of political parties the existing legal provisions that govern the regulatory framework against the use of misinformation and impersonation using deep fakes” it said. It further added that, “In view of the existing legal provisions, amongst other directions, the parties have been specifically directed to refrain from publishing and circulating deep fake audios/videos, disseminate any misinformation or information.”