Fri Jan 24 22:58:11 IST 2025: **News Article:**
**Election Chief Calls for Action Against “Social Media Pollution”**
NEW DELHI, January 25, 2025 – Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has called for a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat the spread of misinformation on social media, likening the problem to environmental pollution. Addressing an international conference of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from 13 countries, Mr. Kumar stated that social media platforms are failing to adequately address easily detectable fake news, prioritizing business interests over fair elections.
The conference, which concluded with the adoption of the “Delhi Declaration 2025,” highlighted a shared concern among EMBs regarding false narratives and misinformation. A working group will be formed to address this issue collectively.
Mr. Kumar criticized social media algorithms for reinforcing existing biases by repeatedly presenting users with content aligned with their pre-existing views. He argued that simply relying on fact-checkers after the spread of misinformation is insufficient and that platforms have a responsibility to prevent the spread of easily detectable fake content.
“The entire social media space is polluted,” Mr. Kumar declared. “It is like first spreading the disease and then selling medicines. The casualty is a fair election process and the purity of democracy.” He urged social media companies to introspect before it’s “too late,” emphasizing the importance of protecting the space for free expression without succumbing to the spread of false narratives.
First Piper 