Virag Gupta's column: When will AI and internet be cracked down on in elections?

Till November 3, liquor worth Rs 42 crore, drugs worth Rs 24 crore, gold and silver worth Rs 5.8 crore and Rs 9.62 crore cash were seized in the Bihar elections. But there is no data on concerted action against the organised illegal use of social media, AI and deep-fakes. On the basis of AI alone, the value of Nvidia company has increased to $ 50 trillion, which is more than India's GDP. WhatsApp and UPI have closed the shop of Telegram, postcard, registered post, PCO and money order. But the so-called 'vigilant' surveillance of traditional media that has become irrelevant and the neglect of social media is increasing the interference of foreign powers with centralisation in elections. On behalf of Govindacharya and others, I had submitted a report to the Election Commission, according to which the guidelines were issued by the Election Commission on October 25, 2013. According to him, election rules should be applicable to digital and social media like print and TV. The Commission confirmed the old rules of 2013 in an order dated 6 May 2024, despite the rules not being followed. In the elections being fought on the basis of social media, the rule of silence period 48 hours before voting has now become meaningless. If the rules are implemented according to these 5 aspects in elections, then the electoral process can be more free and fair: Foreign interference: Cambridge Analytica Company tried to influence India's elections by taking data from millions of Facebook profiles. According to Bennett, a member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, tech companies try to hijack democracy with disinformation and hate news in the elections of many countries, including India. Poor drivers and small printers are very much affected by the rules, but if the rules are applied to tech companies in the same way, then the influence of the Election Commission will increase with constitutional equality. 2. Social Media: Like the golden deer of Marich, leaders have created an unmatched network of social media to trap voters in the digital illusion. Millions of Facebook pages, millions of groups in WhatsApp and fake trends of hashtags in Twitter are created by the election storm. According to the Election Commission's October 2013 guidelines, all social media accounts and expenses of politicians and their supporters should be accounted for, but it is not being implemented. 3. IT Cell: In the old era, the elections were dominated by the thugs, which have now been replaced by the IT forces. According to an estimate, about 40 lakh people are associated with the social media team of the leaders and the IT cell of the parties. During elections, content spreading lies, hatred, propaganda on social media is created and broadcast by them. Despite several reports, the Commission did not take concrete steps for registration and monitoring of IT forces. 4. Black money: According to the October 2013 guidelines, candidates are required to account for direct and indirect expenses of social media. Social media should also provide details of the cost of advertising and promotion. If those rules are strictly followed, the business of fake news in elections will be weakened along with the ban on illegal IT armies. Instead of ensuring judicious adherence to the rules, the observers of the Election Commission are busy counting tea, samosas and garlands. 5. AI: AI companies are collecting data in hundreds of ways such as search and browsing history, cloud data, video, online payments to influence election campaigns, voting and results. The central government is only preparing a vision document for the regulation of AI instead of a law. The guidelines issued by the Election Commission under Article 324 of the Constitution and the IT Intermediary Rules to prevent misuse of AI are binding. But the Election Commission's machinery is failing to enforce these rules. With AI spreading fake news and misleading issues from social media, politicians have become adept at creating fake election waves. Like print and TV, election rules should also apply to digital and social media. (These are the author's own views)