District Election Department issues advisory to WhatsApp admins

Date Published: March 29, 2019 Last Updated: March 29, 2019
Summary

The district election department in Noida has sent an advisory to all administrators of WhatsApp groups to check the content of their groups. The advisory will also be applicable to pages on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. According to district magistrate BN Singh, the Election Commission has enforced this code of conduct. The Election Commission has also asked State Election Commissions to check the degree of social media usage and ensure level-playing field for all political parties.

Highlights:
  • District Magistrate BN Singh said," So we have issued an advisory to the administrators of WhatsApp groups, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to keep a vigil on their contents circulated through their accounts. They should not post any advertisements for or against the party. Suitable action will be taken if model code of conduct is violated."
  • The political parties and candidates have been urged to verify all their online accounts with Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) because social media is slightly different from traditional media in terms of its reach, quality, the frequency of posts.