Voluntary Code of Ethics for social media platforms
Kartavya Desk Staff
#### GS Paper 4
Syllabus: Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct
Source: IE
Context: The Election Commission of India (EC) requested X (formerly Twitter) to take down four election-related posts, citing violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). X complied with the requests but disagreed with the orders, citing freedom of expression. The EC reminded X of the Voluntary Code of Ethics for social media platforms, established in 2019, which includes rules for spreading awareness about elections and timely action on legal requests.
The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and its members agreed to adhere to the “Voluntary Code of Ethics” during all future elections.
Aim: The code, aimed at addressing paid advertisements that breach Election Commission norms, was implemented during the last Lok Sabha polls in 2019.
Social media platforms took action on 909 reported violations during the last Lok Sabha polls, marking the first voluntary adoption of such norms by internet-based companies for online poll campaigns.
Features of the Code of Ethics:
Feature | Description
No political campaign in the last 48 hours before polling | Social media platforms will not allow any political campaigns to run during this period to enable voters to make informed decisions without campaign influence.
Information, education, and communication campaigns | Platforms will conduct campaigns to raise awareness about electoral laws and related instructions.
Dedicated grievance redressal channel | Platforms have established a channel to address complaints reported by the Election Commission of India (ECI) with high priority.
Notification mechanism for potential violations | ECI can notify platforms of potential violations of electoral laws, including Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, through a dedicated mechanism.
Pre-certification of political advertisements | All political advertisements must be pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees, following the Supreme Court’s directions.
Transparency in paid political advertisements | Platforms will ensure transparency in paid political advertisements, utilizing their existing labels/disclosure technology for such ads.
Challenges in enforcing the Code of Ethics:
Enforcing the code of ethics on social media presents significant challenges due to its extensive penetration and the ability of anyone to upload content, making regulation by the Election Commission of India (ECI) or social media platforms nearly impossible. The ECI can only address content brought to its attention, leaving much unregulated. Fake news proliferates despite government efforts and political proxy advertisements via fan pages complicate matters. Social media platforms express concerns about encroachment on their freedoms, including privacy and freedom of speech. Establishing and staffing a monitoring mechanism for social media content is daunting, and the effectiveness of such monitoring remains uncertain.
Suggestions:
The way forward involves social media platforms promptly adhering to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) directives regarding content and taking swift action accordingly. Users must be educated to differentiate between fake and accurate news. Social media platforms are urged to operate within moral frameworks during elections, fostering constructive engagement. They should also ensure content alignment with global peace and harmony. Political parties should commit to fair social media usage. Monitoring public content is essential for fair elections. Like candidate expenditure limits, political parties should have similar restrictions. ECI should enforce a 48-hour ban on political advertisements on social platforms. Additionally, dedicated ECI machinery is necessary to manage political content on social media during elections.