FB, TWITTER TO HELP EC CHECK FAKE NEWS

New Delhi, Sept. 30: 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 effects the purity of polls during campaign period, CEC O.P. Rawat has said.

He said it was tested during the Karnataka elections. “Small pilot was there. That was the beginning. Now we will have a bigger pilot,” the CEC said. Assembly polls are due in the four state later this year.

Rawat said a committee under senior deputy election commissioner Umesh Sinha had called regional and local heads of Google, Facebo-ok and Twitter and had asked them as to what they can do for ensuring purity of Indian elections such as avoiding adverse impact of fake news and targeted communication to voters.

The last 48 hours before the elections come to a close is called ‘silence period’ so that voter can calmly decide on as to whom to vote.

“They have all committed that during campaign period, they will not allow anything which can adversely affect level playing field on their platforms... during the last 48 hours before the close of poll, they have committed that nothing of elections will be allowed on their platforms,” he said.

They also assured the poll watchdog that political advertisements will be flagged. — PTI