The Election Commission on Thursday said that major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Google and TikTok have agreed to follow a code of ethics for all future elections. The platforms had followed the code during the Lok Sabha elections as well.

In a statement, the poll body said that the Internet and Mobile Association of India, on behalf of its members, has agreed to observe the voluntary code in the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra and various bye-elections next month. “IAMAI has assured the Commission that the platforms will cooperate in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections,” the statement said.

The companies and the IAMAI had come up with the code in March “as a result of Commission’s vigorous persuasion”. The code came into effect on March 20, and during the Lok Sabha elections, the social media platforms took action in 909 violations reported by the Election Commission, the statement said.

According to the code, the social media firms had agreed that no political campaign will be allowed to be run on their platforms during the “silence period”. This is a period of 48 hours before the end of polling in which the Model Code of Conduct is in operation.

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