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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has tightened rules for social media use during the 2026 assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal, directing platforms to remove or act on unlawful or misleading content, including AI-generated material, within three hours of a user report.
The Commission said it was closely monitoring content that violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), disturbs law and order, or spreads false narratives about the election process. Since announcing the election schedule on March 15, the Election Commission and state IT nodal officers have removed over 11,000 social media posts or URLs, registered FIRs, and issued clarifications and rebuttals.
Strict Rules for AI-Generated Political Content: The ECI issued clear instructions requiring transparency in campaigning regarding AI-generated content. It said: “Political parties, candidates and campaign representatives are required to ensure that any synthetically generated or AI-altered content used for campaigning is clearly labelled as “AI-Generated”, “Digitally Enhanced” or “Synthetic Content”, along with disclosure of the originating entity, to maintain transparency and voter trust.”
The poll body also reiterated that it is enforcing these rules under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021, through the state IT nodal officers.
Background: Earlier AI and Deepfake Guidelines: This latest directive builds on earlier advisories. In October 2025, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the ECI issued detailed rules requiring AI-generated images, audio, and videos to carry prominent labels such as “AI-Generated” or “Synthetic Content,” along with disclosure of the source. It also mandated the takedown of misleading synthetic content within three hours of a complaint and required parties to maintain internal records of such material. In January 2025, the Election Commission issued similar guidelines amid growing concerns about deepfakes and manipulated political media.
The ECI has also reiterated Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which prohibits the display of election-related content in polling areas during the 48-hour silence period before the close of polling. All media platforms, including social media, television, radio, and print, must comply.
The ECI’s C-Vigil app has received 3,23,099 complaints so far reporting violations. The Commission reported that it resolved 3,10,393 complaints (about 96.01%) within 100 minutes.
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