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With general elections due in May, fake news is one area of concern which needs to be addressed by the Election Commission. It is now reasonably well established that political parties use social media platforms as well as friendly websites to trumpet their “achievements” while discrediting their rivals by spreading canards and untruths. Admittedly, exaggerations, tall promises and bitter criticism are not unusual in the heat of campaigning. But steps must be taken to ensure that the propaganda war doesn’t spin out of control as it has done in recent elections thanks to the misuse of the Internet.
Very often dubious news even finds its way into mainstream media. Which is why the EC cannot guarantee free and fair polls by merely keeping tabs on paid news. It also needs to be alert to the use of new media to spread vicious, communally charged content and fake news.
During the last Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka Assembly elections the dissemination of fake information through social media was reportedly a major influencing factor. Both the BJP and the Congress formed thousands of WhatsApp groups in Karnataka ahead of the polls. This was observed in the recent elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Though WhatsApp has now limited the number of forwards by an individual user to five, there is still scope for its misuse. But it is not WhatsApp alone. Motivated websites can play ample mischief and mislead the electorate.
Given this, the Election Commission must become proactive and set down stringent measures to counter fake news. For a start, it should invite editors, senior leaders of parties and heads of their IT cells to chalk out ways to keep dubious news content in check. The EC must also hold parties and not just individual candidates accountable for dissemination of fake news. It could also form a panel which includes representatives of political parties and legal luminaries to keep a watchful eye and release daily bulletins of fake news trending on channels, websites and social media. This may help bell the cat and alert voters.
Editorial Consultant
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