Fake News Foils Fair Poll

Nepali people are set to pick new representatives for the federal and provincial parliaments next month. For them, this is an important moment to take informed decision so that honest and competent candidates are elected. Now the political parties and their candidates are on the stump. In the heat of moment, they tend to make aggressive remarks against their rivals and violate the election code of conduct, which can spoil the poll atmosphere. Moreover, during the polls, some elements might indulge in spreading fake news, misinformation and hate speech through the social media. Such a negative poll campaign can unduly change the voters' perception and the voting pattern. Fake news and disinformation are likely to misguide the voters into choosing those candidates who are not committed to democracy, rule of law and good governance. 

In such a situation, the genuine candidates are victimised by the disinformation and hate speeches, and lose the chance to get elected. Elections institutionalise democracy only when the voters are able to make right decision in the polls. Therefore, it is necessary to discourage the dissemination of fake news and disinformation, which hurt the sacrosanct of elections considered the heart of democracy. Against this backdrop, the Election Commission Nepal has stepped up measures to discourage the tendency of spreading fake news through various social networking sites and strictly implement the election code of conduct. The EC has sought the support of Meta Platforms, Inc that owns Facebook, Instagram WhatsApp and Messenger, to make sure that these sites are not abused to influence the elections. 

On Tuesday, Meta organised a conference on Election Integrity in the capital for the purpose. Speaking at the function, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said that fake news, misinformation and hate speech have posed a serious challenge to democracy and become an enemy of freedom of expression. Thapaliya has admitted that it has become a tough task to regulate the fake news and harmful posts disseminated through the social networking sites because of their massive outreach. No doubt, it is difficult to maintain poll fairness if the social sites, which have global impact, are used for smear campaign against the rival candidates. Meanwhile, Meta's representatives, who look after South Asia, came to Kathmandu and have expressed their commitment to controlling the misinformation and hate speech if complaints are lodged against such objectionable content. 

As per understanding between the EC and Meta, Facebook will delete false and objectionable posts based on its own policy. It has also removed a fake account opened in the EC' name, which has requested to cast vote for certain parties. The EC will ask the Meta to forward action against those involved in the publication of fake news and disinformation by corresponding to the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police. It is indeed a commendable initiative on the part of EC to approach Meta in regard to curbing the malicious materials spread through Facebook that has huge number of users in Nepal. Social media has become an effective instrument to manipulate the political debates and agenda so the citizens should be aware of this fact. It is not just the EC but the media, civil society and political parties which should work together to minimise the negative impact of fake news and disinformation on the voters and the entire electoral process.