An uphill task for the EC
Its efforts to curb fake news during the election will fall short
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced measures to curb fake news and misinformation on social media platforms. It has brought political parties’ social media content under the ambit of the model code of conduct, and expects candidates to disclose their social media accounts and all expenditure on their respective social media campaigns. But will this be enough? After all, the issue of fake news goes beyond politicians and political parties, partly because social media puts information dissemination into the hands of individuals. Can any measure adequately monitor the gigantic Indian Internet user base, which exceeds 500 million? Monitoring such a large number of users won’t be possible for reasons as simple as the volume of content generated, its immediacy and the challenge with identifying sources. Besides, distinguishing between authentic and inauthentic information is in itself a challenge and could be prone to biases, putting enormous power in the hands of those monitoring the content for social media or the commission.
Despite their avowed intention to curb fake news and misinformation, social media companies continued to be viewed with distrust by some experts and for good reason — it is in their interest to maximise time and engagement. At the level of users, social media, it has been found, perpetuate and amplify existing biases, creating filter bubbles. As for the political parties and politicians, it is unlikely they will have either the means or the inclination to crack down on those peddling misinformation.
Before a social consensus emerges — and as the medium matures — it can only be hoped that the ECI’S well-publicised steps make users become wary of the sources they get information from.the ECI’S seriousness will hopefully bring about a sense of accountability among technology companies and political parties, but the organisation is up against it. That’s because technology companies need incentives to effectively crack down on fake news; political parties must hold themselves back (even as they are likely to succumb to unrestraint); and consumers should be evolved enough to be able to tell the difference between fake and real news.