Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Sanjay Kaul has warned of strong action against the use of social media to spread fake news related to the Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Kaul said here on Wednesday that it is important to remain vigilant against campaigns that undermine the credibility of the election process. Legal actions will be taken against those spreading such news.
Mr. Kaul warned of appropriate action against fake news, news that violates the code of conduct and paid news. Media monitoring cells are operational at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and in the districts to continuously monitor social media as well as audio-visual and print media, he said.
Visual and audio advertisements used by political parties and candidates require the approval of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee.
Advertisements distributed by candidates in the constituencies require the approval of the District-Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee under the District Collector. State-level visual and audio ads should be approved by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
