ECI makes pre-certification mandatory for political ads on social media

The Election Commission has directed all national and state parties, as well as contesting candidates, to obtain MCMC approval before publishing or airing any political advertisements

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it mandatory for all political parties and contesting candidates to get their advertisements pre-certified before releasing them on electronic media, including social media. The move aims to ensure transparency in political advertising ahead of the upcoming elections in Bihar, eight Assembly constituencies across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

Mandatory pre-certification by MCMC

In its order, the Election Commission directed all registered national and state political parties, as well as contesting candidates, to seek approval from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) before publishing or broadcasting any political advertisements. 

The MCMCs have been set up at both district and state levels to certify political advertisements as per the Commission’s guidelines.

  The Commission made it clear that no political advertisements, including those on social media or internet-based platforms, can be released without pre-certification from the respective MCMC. This includes content posted on social media websites, websites and other online platforms operated by political parties or candidates.

  The Election Commission also said that MCMCs will closely monitor media content to detect and act on any suspected cases of “paid news” during the election period.

 

Candidates to declare social media handles

The Election Commission instructed all candidates to declare their authentic social media handles when filing their nomination papers. 

Citing Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Supreme Court’s directions, the Election Commission reminded political parties of their obligation to submit a statement of election expenditure within 75 days of the completion of Assembly polls. 

This statement must include detailed accounts of all money spent on online campaigning, including advertisements placed on social media platforms and websites. 

The Commission said that campaign expenditure should include payments made to internet companies and digital platforms for hosting advertisements. It should also cover content creation, development, and operational costs involved in maintaining official social media accounts.