- Overview: To combat the rapid spread of misinformation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued strict guidelines under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) mandating digital watermarks and disclosures for all AI-generated political content.
- Key Points:
- Protecting Electoral Integrity: Targets the malicious use of “Deepfakes” and voice-cloning technology used to misrepresent opponents or mislead voters.
- Regulatory Framework: Under the new rules, failure to clearly label synthetic media will attract penalties under the IT Act, 2000, and immediate takedowns.
- Tech Collaboration: ECI has established a ‘Fact-Check & Cyber Verification Cell’ in collaboration with major social media intermediaries (Meta, X, Google).
- Democratic Guardrails: A crucial step in balancing freedom of speech with the necessity of an informed, unmanipulated electorate.
- Q8. The ‘Model Code of Conduct’ (MCC) enforced by the Election Commission of India comes into operation:
- A) Six months before the date of polling.
- B) From the date the election schedule is announced by the Election Commission.
- C) On the day the notification for elections is issued by the President/Governor.
- D) Only after the final list of contesting candidates is published.
