IEC teams up with Google and Meta to fight fake election news before November vote
The Electoral Commission says direct access to the platforms gives it a real chance to keep voters from being fed false information ahead of the local government elections.
The Electoral Commission has gone into partnership with Google and Meta to keep false information out of the run-up to November’s local government elections, eNCA (YouTube) reported.
The arrangement gives the commission direct access to the online platforms, which it describes as a strategic step in the fight against disinformation. Voters, the commission says, need to be able to reach information that is accurate and trustworthy so that they can make informed political choices.
In the words of the broadcast, the partnership brings the platforms into the same work of keeping election information accurate and trustworthy and clear of malicious distortion, and it gives the commission a direct line to them.
The commission’s position, as carried in the report, is that its partnership with digital platforms is critical to making sure voters get credible information before they vote.
The report did not set out how the access will work in practice, what either platform has committed to do, or how content will be judged. The local government elections take place in November.
