KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has pledged to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation on social networking platforms ahead of the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections.
EC officials have said that the Commission is closely monitoring the circulation of false information, fake news, and negative activities on social media that could influence the March 5 HoR polls.
EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the commission will monitor issues such as fake news, hate speech, deepfakes, fake accounts, and defamation, adding that those involved in illegal activities will be punished in accordance with the law. He also said the EC will collaborate with relevant regulatory bodies to address such violations.
The EC informed that it held consultations this week with officials from Meta and TikTok on measures to curb misinformation, hate speech, deepfakes, fake accounts, and defamatory content on their platforms. For coordination purposes, the EC has formally written to Meta, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).
Spokesperson Bhattarai further said that the Information and Integrity Promotion Unit, operating under the Information Dissemination and Coordination Centre, has already begun monitoring social media platforms using specialized software.
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