The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media in the run-up to the local body polls will be permitted only if it strictly adheres to the Election Commission guidelines, District Collector and District Election Officer Snehil Kumar Singh has said.
All AI-generated campaign material or digitally altered content must carry clear labels as ‘AI Generated’, ‘Digitally Enhanced’, or ‘Synthetic Content’. In the case of videos, the label should appear on top of the screen; for images, it must cover at least 10% of the display area; and for audio, it must be announced during the first 10% of the duration.
The name of the creator, whether an individual or an organisation, must also be disclosed in the metadata and description.
Mr. Singh also noted that synthetic content capable of misleading voters must comply with the IT Act, 2000, the IT (Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Model Code of Conduct.
The use of deepfake videos or audio, false information, material demeaning women, involvement of children in campaigning, or content promoting cruelty to animals is prohibited.
Guidelines issued by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) for Parliament elections will also apply to local body polls. All platforms must follow the IT Act and the directives of the State Election Commission.
The cyber police will monitor social media activities, and any alterations to a person’s image, voice or identity, except satire, will be removed within three hours if found on official party pages. Political parties are instructed to keep internal records of all AI-generated campaign material.
Complaints may be sent to dio.prd@gmail.com or 0495-2370225.
Published – December 03, 2025 08:44 pm IST
