Social media has completely reshaped the communication industry and also changed the way we communicate and express.
Social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. make sure that they constantly engage people in some or the other activity. Now it has become an integral part of our lives. Not only individuals but also businesses, governments are utilizing social media platforms for constant engagement with the masses. Though social media offers a global platform to share and express but its constant engagement is affecting individual productivity, relationships and society as a whole. Also it has become a platform for fake news which bring unnecessary unrest and confusion among masses.
As per recent analysis, it just takes 60 minutes for a negative post to enter the ‘viral’ category driven by rapid sharing and comments from followers.
As it is believed that the social media would cause a huge impact on the 2019 General Elections of India, the social media platforms and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) submitted the “Voluntary Code of Ethics for the General Election 2019” to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra on Wednesday evening (20-March-2019).
The companies have agreed to create a high priority dedicated reporting mechanism for the Election Commission of India and appoint dedicated teams during the period of General Elections for taking expeditious action on any reported violations.
They have also agreed to provide a mechanism for political advertisers to submit pre-certified advertisements issued by Media Certification and Monitoring Committee. The Code of Ethics also promises to facilitate transparency in paid political advertisements.
The social media companies have developed a notification mechanism through which the poll watchdog can notify relevant platforms of potential violations of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951
WhatsApp is an exception to this, as there is an absence of traceability of platform on Whatsapp.
Facebook claims that it has already been removing millions of fake acounts daily to limit the spread of misinformation. Google said it was investing heavily to surface credible information sources on its platforms, and that it was commited to enforcing the statuary silence period, as well as to expeditiously process content reported by the Election Commisssion of India.
But many experts have concerns and questions on the planning and execution of this code of ethics. Some feel the code of ethics has come too late and as it has never been deployed in the past. Also its implementation straight away in the elections of the biggest democracy of the world will be difficult.
Such policies should have been framed atleast two years in advance and figure out how to work on it. Also the clear definition of objectionable content is still not defined clearly and is ambiguous. Due to this ambiguity, it will be difficult for the social media companies to classify content and take action accordingly.
References:
The Economic times, Chennai
Business Management 