Twitter, Facebook assure EC not to allow their platforms against purity of polls

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 the campaign period. 

Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said that there was a small pilot project tested during the Karnataka Assembly elections, and now there will be a bigger one before the Lok Sabha polls. 

Mr Rawat said, a committee under



Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha had called regional and local heads of Google, Facebook and Twitter and asked them as to what they can do for ensuring purity of elections such as avoiding adverse impact of fake news and targeted communication to voters. 

The Chief Election Commissioner said, the companies have also assured the poll panel that political advertisements will be flagged, including the amount spent, so that expenditure can also be accounted for during campaigning.