Chennai, March 20 Tamil Nadu CEO Archana Patnaik warned on Friday that any "misleading or unlawful" deepfake or AI-generated content will be removed from party handles within three hours of detection or reporting.
She urged political parties and their candidates to adhere to the Election Commission's guidelines on AI-generated content, given the emerging challenges posed by deepfakes and AI-generated media.
"All AI-generated or digitally altered content must carry a clear and prominent label such as 'AI-generated', 'Digitally Enhanced', or 'Synthetic Content', covering at least 10 per cent of the display area or the initial 10 per cent duration for audio content," the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a release here.
The creator or responsible entity must be clearly disclosed. Content that misrepresents identity, voice, or appearance without consent and is likely to mislead voters is strictly prohibited.
"Any such misleading or unlawful content detected on party handles will be removed within three hours of detection or reporting," the CEO said.
All political parties (recognised and unrecognised), contesting candidates, and other individuals intending to issue political advertisements on electronic or social media must obtain prior certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level.
Recognised political parties and candidates must apply at least three days before the telecast. Unrecognised parties and other applicants must apply seven days in advance. The applications will be processed within 48 hours. Appeals may be made to the State Level Appellate Committee, and further to the Election Commission of India. These committees have been constituted to scrutinise and certify political advertisements and prevent the misuse of media platforms, including paid news, the release said.
To address urban voter apathy, the Election Commission has initiated polling facilities within high-rise residential complexes and group housing societies. A total of 14 polling stations have been established in such locations during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026, the CEO said.
