Hate speech: EC asked social media platforms to take down content in 130 cases, says govt

In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju told the Parliament that since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission had directed that content related to 130 cases of hate speech was taken down.

Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju said that no complaints were received by the Election Commission from the political parties regarding data leaks during elections in the last five years. (File)

The government told the Parliament Thursday that the Election Commission has asked social media platforms to take down content relating to 130 cases of hate speech since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju said that while no such cases had been registered during the Jharkhand (2019) and Bihar (2020 ) state polls, 58 cases were registered during the Lok Sabha polls.

Thirty-four cases were registered during the Delhi Assembly polls held in 2020, while 29 cases were registered during the 2021 polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Only one case was registered during the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls in 2019 while eight cases were registered in Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh this year.

The minister also said that no complaints were received by the Election Commission from the political parties regarding data leaks during elections in the last five years.

The government said that the Election Commission and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) came up with a mutually agreed upon ‘Voluntary Code of Ethics’ for the 2019 general elections.

“The code has been developed to ensure free, fair and ethical use of social media platforms and to maintain the integrity of the electoral process. Intermediary platforms have also committed to perform their share of responsibility for voter education and awareness. The ECI, in pursuance of ‘Voluntary Code of Ethics’, has been directing several social media platforms to take down content (links, videos, posts, tweets) found objectionable as per various provisions of Moral Code of Conduct, Representation of People’s Act, The Indian Penal Code and other electoral laws during elections,” the government said.

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