Election bodies expect social media sites to proactively flag fake news: CEC Rajiv Kumar

“More early or deeper red-flagging of fake news based on known modus operandi and genres is not an unfair expectation from the EMBs”, he said.

Speaking of India’s experience of holding elections during the Covid-19 pandemic, the CEC said disenfranchisement, even if temporary, was not an option for democracies. He said the group of EMBs present, including senior representatives from EMBs of Mauritius and Greece, could develop benchmarks and start a dialogue on the challenges and opportunities before them.

United States Charge d’Affaires Elizabeth Jones, who attended the inaugural along with Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, said the US-India partnership was most consequential, according to an EC statement.

“India’s Election Commission is a testament to a well-run election management body overseeing electoral processes. The United States is gratified by your leadership and sharing your expertise with other democracies. Administration of Indian elections has set standards for democracies worldwide,” she said.