Maharashtra elections: Poll authority asks 1,752 'misleading' social media posts to be removed
The Hindu
Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra sends notices to social media platforms to remove 1,752 fake news posts ahead of elections.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra has sent notices to various social media platforms, asking them to take down a total of 1,752 posts that contained fake news and were meant to create confusion among voters.
More than 300 of these posts were deleted after they were flagged by the poll body, an official release said here on Friday (October 18, 2024).
Also read | ‘Vote Jihad’: Election Commission cracks down on divisive rhetoric as Maharashtra gears up for polls
The notices were sent under section 79(3) (b) of the Information Technology Act, which empowers law enforcement agencies to order intermediaries to remove any content that can be used for unlawful activities.
Assembly elections will be held in Maharashtra on November 20.
Of the objectionable posts, 143 were found on Facebook, 280 on Instagram, 1,296 on X , 31 on YouTube, and two on other platforms.
Facebook has so far deleted 16 posts, while action was awaited on 127 more posts. Instagram has deleted 29, X has deleted 251 and YouTube has deleted five posts since the notices were sent, the release said.
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