ECI mandates pre-certification of political ads on media platforms

The Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday made it mandatory for political parties, candidates and associated groups to obtain prior approval for all political advertisements on electronic and social media platforms before they are published, as part of stricter guidelines issued ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The poll panel, which recently announced the election schedule on March 15 for these states along with bye-elections in six others, said the move is aimed at ensuring transparency and curbing the spread of misinformation during the campaign period.

The directive requires that any political advertisement, whether on television, radio, public audiovisual displays, e-papers, bulk messaging services or social media, must be cleared in advance by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC). “No political advertisements are to be released on any internet-based media, including social media platforms, without prior certification from the competent MCMC,” the Commission said in its press note, underscoring the binding nature of the order.

According to the guidelines, individual candidates must apply to district-level MCMCs for certification, while recognised political parties headquartered in states or union Territories can approach State-level MCMCs. An appellate mechanism has also been put in place, with a committee headed by the Chief Electoral Officer to hear challenges against decisions taken by district or state panels.

The Commission has also tasked MCMCs with maintaining “strict vigil” on suspected cases of paid news, a recurring concern in Indian elections. Officials said such monitoring will be intensified across both traditional and digital media ecosystems.

In a parallel move aimed at increasing accountability in the digital domain, candidates will now be required to disclose details of their authentic social media accounts in their nomination affidavits. This step is expected to help authorities track campaign activity and expenditure more effectively.

The Commission reiterated that under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and directions of the Supreme Court, political parties must submit a comprehensive account of their election expenditure, including spending on internet-based campaigning, within 75 days of the conclusion of the polls.

This includes payments made to online platforms, content creation costs and operational expenses related to maintaining social media presence. The new measures follow a high-level meeting convened by the Commission on March 19 with Chief Electoral Officers, police and IT nodal officers from poll-bound states, as well as representatives of major social media platforms. The meeting focused on strengthening coordination to tackle misinformation, disinformation and fake news during the election period.

Officials indicated that the Commission is particularly concerned about the rapid spread of unverified content online and is seeking to ensure “timely action against reported violations” through closer collaboration with digital platforms and State authorities.

With election campaigning increasingly shifting to digital channels, the latest directives signal the Commission’s intent to enforce stricter compliance and bring greater transparency to online political communication.