Internet major Google and social media giants Twitter and Facebook have assured the Election Commission that they will not allow their platforms to be used for anything which affects the sanctity of polls during the campaign period, Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat has said.
He said this was tested during the Karnataka elections. “A small pilot was there. That was the beginning. Now we will have a bigger pilot before the Lok Sabha elections in the four States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram,” the CEC said.
Assembly polls are due in the four States later this year. Mr. Rawat said a committee under Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha had called regional and local heads of Google, Facebook and Twitter and had asked them what they can do to prevent the adverse impact of fake news and targeted communication to voters.
“They have all committed that they will not allow anything affecting the level playing field on their platforms... during the last 48 hours before the close of poll,” he said.
