Election Commission of India(ECI) Regulates Poll Advertisements, Campaign on Net, Social Media Friday Oct 25,2013

The Election Commission on Friday Oct 25,2013 issued a series of instructions to political parties and candidates on utilising the Internet and social media websites for poll campaign and advertisements, asking them to strictly abide by the model code of conduct. This regulation has come into force in the interest of “maintaining transparency and a level playing field during polls.”

In a letter sent to Chief Electoral Officers of the States and the Union Territories, and recognised national and regional political parties, the Commission made it clear that the order would be applicable to social media sites such as Wikipedia, blogs, microblogs such as Twitter, content communities like YouTube, social networking sites such as Facebook, and virtual game-worlds (Apps)

Payments made to social media websites — for carrying advertisements, expenditure on development of content, and spending on salaries for staff hired to maintain the social media accounts of the parties and the candidates — would be included in poll expenses

As per the new order -

• every candidate, at the time of filing the nomination, has to give their e-mail Ids and accounts of their social networking sites, if any, for monitoring by poll/expenditure officials

• contents of the advertisements issued by parties/candidates in such websites should be pre-certified by the appropriate authorities and

• all expenditure made towards such campaign/advertisement would be included in the election expenditure accounts of candidates/parties