JOIN USThe Election Commission will soon come out with a policy guideline to regulate use of social media by political parties to influence public opinion during polls.
Election Commissioner O P Rawat said that the poll panel had taken note of the increasing use of social media by political parties and the public relations companies engaged by them to use social media to influence public opinion during polls.
He said that the commission was working on a guideline to regulate the use of social media.
“It has come to the notice of the commission that paid operators run by PR firms are being actively deployed to shape public opinion online,” Rawat said, addressing a consultation on electoral and political reforms organized by Association for Democratic Reforms. “I am happy to state that the ECI is formulating its social media policy and we are hopeful that it is likely to address such issues.”
Rawat also took a dig at political parties for indulging in unethical means to win polls. “Democracy thrives when elections are free, fair and transparent. However, it appears to a cynical common man that we have been scripting a narrative that places maximum premium on winning at all costs to the total exclusion of ethical considerations,” said the Election Commissioner.