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  • X (formerly Twitter) withheld 4 posts for Model Code of Conduct violation at the request of the Election Commission of India (ECI), adhering to the 'Voluntary Code of Ethics' for social media platforms.

 

  • Voluntary Code of Ethics (CoE)
    • CoE aims to ensure free, fair, and ethical usage of SMPs to maintain the integrity of the electoral process
    • First presented to the ECI by various SMPs and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in 2019.
    • Code also promises to facilitate transparency in paid political advertisements.

 

  • Commitment of SMPs under CoE
    • ECI can notify the relevant platforms of potential violations of Section 126 of Representation of People Act, 1951, and other applicable electoral laws which shall be acknowledged/ processed within 3 hours.
      • Section 126(1)(b) prohibits displaying any election matter in any electronic media during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of poll.
    • Platforms have to create high priority dedicated reporting mechanism for ECI for taking expeditious action on any reported violations.
    • Platforms to provide a mechanism for political advertisers to submit pre-certified advertisements issued by Media Certification and Monitoring Committee.

 

Challenges posed by SMPs for Free and Fair Elections

  • Echo chambers and filter bubble:   Algorithms reinforce existing biases and limit exposure to diverse viewpoints.
  • Voter profiling and Micro-targeting: Potential misuse of personal data for voter profiling and micro-targeting.
  • Misinformation and disinformation: Rapid dissemination of false information, including fabricated news, doctored images or videos, etc.
  • External influence:  SMPs can be used by foreign actors to influence elections through coordinated disinformation campaigns, amplification of divisive content, etc. [e.g., Cambridge Analytica Controversy in the US (2018)]
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