Nodal officer nominated for social media watch

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 17

In a bid to regulate the use of social media and in order to oversee complaints regarding dissemination of fake news, misinformation, hate speech, etc. a nodal officer has been nominated in the state on the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Regulating social media and other intermediary platforms has become a major challenge, observed the ECI, as violations in the social media have come to its notice. Regulating the social media would ensure a level playing field and transparency in the elections.

As per the ECI directions, the content being posted on social media websites by the candidates and various political parties needs to be scrutinised.

While complaints related to social media platforms, like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, can be forwarded to the grievance officers of these platforms, its copy can also be forwarded to the nodal officer nominated by the Chief Electoral Office in the state.

The officer is supposed to examine all such complaints immediately. He will also write to the grievance officer of the concerned social media platform for immediate action.

State Nodal Officer Naveen Thakur said some complaints pertaining to Facebook posts which had been received were immediately acted upon and the persons concerned were directed to adhere to the code of conduct. He said most of the complaints pertained to objectionable Facebook posts in the state.