Action has been taken against more than 11,000 social media posts and URLs since March 15 for content that violated the model code of conduct, disrupted law and order or created false narratives, the Election Commission said on Sunday.
It directed all political parties, candidates and campaign representatives to clearly label any synthetically generated or AI-altered content used for campaigning as “AI-generated”, “digitally enhanced” or “synthetic content”. They must also reveal who had created the content.
The commission has asked social media platforms to act within three hours if any misleading or illegal AI-generated or manipulated content is reported.
Since this round of Assembly elections was announced on March 15, authorities have flagged around 11,000 errant social media posts and URLs. The action has included removing content, filing FIRs, and issuing clarifications or rebuttals.
“In the ongoing elections for legislative assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal, social media content such as posts which are MCC violations, disrupt or which have the potential to disrupt law and order, false narratives against polling process or machinery are being monitored and acted upon by the concerned state IT nodal officers notified under IT act,” the poll panel said in a media statement.
The move is part of a larger effort to curb the spread of misinformation during the poll season.
According to the commission statement, citizens had lodged some 323,099 complaints of MCC violations between March 15 and April 19, using the C-Vigil App. Among these, 310,393 complaints — about 96 per cent — were resolved within the mandated time limit of 100 minutes.
Action has been taken against social media platform X over AI-generated video targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the poll panel.