Police keeping a close eye on Ghatshila by-election, direct action will be taken against those spreading fake AI images and rumours.

News India Live, Digital Desk: The police and administration have geared up for the by-election to be held in Ghatshila assembly constituency of Jharkhand. While on one hand tight security arrangements are being made to conduct the elections in a peaceful, free and fair manner, on the other hand social media is also being closely monitored by the ‘third eye’ of the police. This time the special focus of the police is on fake pictures, videos and misleading posts created by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

33 WhatsApp groups and 50 social media accounts on radar

East Singhbhum district police have formed a special monitoring cell to monitor social media. Rural SP Rishabh Garg said that the police team is monitoring about 33 WhatsApp groups and more than 50 Facebook, X (Twitter) and other social media accounts of the area 24 hours. He has clearly warned that if any person or group administrator is found sharing misleading, objectionable or fake posts with the intention of influencing the elections or disturbing the peace, then strict legal action will be taken against him.

Special attention on AI-generated fake content

Nowadays, with the help of AI, it has become very easy to create fake photos or videos of anyone. This technology can be misused during elections to tarnish the image of a candidate or party and mislead voters. Keeping this threat in mind, the police has prepared a team of cyber experts who can immediately identify fake content created through AI. “Creating or sharing any fake AI-generated image or video related to any candidate or political party will attract strict action under the IT Act,” the SP said.

What will come under the purview of monitoring?

• Derogatory or objectionable remarks against any candidate.
• Post spreading hatred on the basis of religion, caste or community (hate speech).
• Fake news and rumors that mislead voters.
• Spreading misinformation about the voting process.
• Publishing election surveys or exit polls without permission.

The police have also appealed to the general public to check the authenticity of any news or post coming on social media before trusting it. If you see any suspicious or misleading post, immediately report it to the police.

This step is also important because Ghatshila is considered a Naxal-affected and sensitive area, and the administration does not want to leave any scope for any disturbance during the elections here.