Govt to introduce social media checks 48 hours before voting

strict enforcement of section 126 of the Representation of the People Act on social media is not easy because of the global nature of their users

NEW DELHI: The government is working on a strategy to enforce campaign silence on social media 48 hours before polls, as suggested by a parliamentary panel, government officials familiar with t he matter s ai d. The embargo, already followed by print and TV media, will likely be implemented on social networks during the summer’s Lok Sabha elections.

The ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) is considering several options, including regulation through local internet service providers (ISP) and voluntary compliance by social media platforms, the two officials with direct knowledge of the matter A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL

said on condition of anonymity.

“Unlike print media and television channels, strict enforcement of section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, on social media is not easy because of the global nature of their users,” one of the officials said.

“Besides, their servers are located overseas, beyond the legal jurisdiction of India,” the official added.

Although most of the social media platforms have been working hard to prevent their misuse during elections, they have been repeatedly accused of not doing enough, thereby allowing democratic processes to be subverted, the second official said.

“Parliamentarians are very concerned about the misuse of social media [Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp] during elections. These companies must address their concerns. They must respect India’s parliamentary committee. They have to observe law of the land if they want to do business in India, a lucrative market for them,” this person added.

A spokesperson for Twitter said the popular micro-blogging site was willing to cooperate with the government and the Election