With the announcement of the General Election to the Bihar Legislative Assembly and bye-elections in eight constituencies on October 6, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into effect. The MCC, a key part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) , governs the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections, including their online activities.
As part of this framework, the ECI has introduced specific guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in election campaigns to regulate digital content posted by political parties and candidates on social media and other internet platforms, ensuring that MCC principles are upheld in the digital space.
According to the MCC, criticism of other parties must be limited to their policies, programmes, past records, and work, avoiding any attacks on the private lives of leaders or workers unrelated to their public roles. Unverified or distorted criticism is strictly prohibited.
ECI has cautioned against the misuse of AI tools to create deepfake or synthetic videos that spread misinformation on social media.
To maintain the integrity of the electoral process, political parties, leaders, candidates, and star campaigners must clearly label any AI-generated or digitally altered content shared during campaigns with terms such as “AI-Generated,” “Digitally Enhanced,” or “Synthetic Content.”
The Commission is closely monitoring social media to ensure a fair and free election environment and has made extensive arrangements to enforce MCC guidelines. Any violations of these rules will be dealt with strictly to protect the credibility of the election.