In any democratic country like Pakistan, every single individual has a right to cast their vote, regardless of their culture, economic status, or location.
In Pakistan, when it comes to elections in which the public directly chooses their leaders, representatives, and prime minister, we often come across bad situations, especially on unregulated social media platforms. As we all know, there is no strict regulation against misinformation on many social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Misinformation usually spreads like wildfire in most cases because it often targets the pivotal points of the whole story.
It is crucial for a country to regulate social media and stop the spread of fake news, especially during elections. Elections are a time of high stress for political figures, where everyone is competing to surpass their opponents and serve the country. However, when fake propaganda spreads against a person who is not responsible for the alleged wrongdoing, it brings several disadvantages.
Firstly, every individual has the right to criticize their leaders, but this right does not extend to falsely blaming them for things they did not do. Such false accusations can damage their morale, causing them to focus on their self-interest rather than public service. If they attain power, they may prioritize personal gain over serving the people, feeling betrayed by the public that unjustly blamed them.
To control the spread of such misinformation, a special team should be assigned during election periods. This team would have the authority to remove any content based on false facts that is becoming popular and misleading the public.
There are two main categories of fake news. The first type consists of false news that does not go viral and only misleads a small number of people. The second type, which is more dangerous, spreads rapidly and is entirely based on false information. This type of misinformation can severely harm a politician’s reputation and must be removed immediately.
As civil servants, we can form a committee to develop policies and suggest legal measures against false propaganda. Many laws already exist in the constitution to counter false news, and I believe they are being implemented regularly. However, handling the vast amount of misinformation circulating on social media is still a major challenge.
To address this issue, we must communicate with social media platforms and hold them accountable for regulating content. Cooperation between social media administrators and government teams is essential. Our designated team members should be given authority to report misleading content, and platforms should promptly remove such content without unnecessary delays.
A strong connection between monitoring teams and social media platforms will allow for swift action against misinformation. If our verified team members report content, it should be removed immediately without the need for further verification. This approach would be the fastest and most effective way to regulate social media during elections.