Delhi Police designates nodal officer to monitor social media, SMS misuse during assembly polls

PTI, Jan 15, 2025, 4:24 PM IST

Representative Image (iStock)

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has designated a nodal officer to monitor social media platforms and SMS for potential misuse, including the circulation of deepfake videos and misleading messages during the assembly polls, an official said on Wednesday.

The officer will maintain strict vigilance over content released by various political parties and oversee reports of election-related matters involving objectionable messages shared through short message service (SMS) or social media platforms, the official added.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Vikramjit Singh has been nominated as the nodal officer for social media monitoring and cyber crimes.

“The officer will handle from different parties complaints which will be examined thoroughly. If required, FIRs will be registered. The team will monitor social media platforms in real-time to track content related to elections that may go viral,” said a senior police officer.

Police said such messages and deepfake videos have the potential to disrupt the electoral process by violating election laws and directives issued by the Election Commission of India.

In a public request, the office of the joint commissioner of police (special branch) urged individuals encountering objectionable messages to report them promptly via email at [email protected].

Recently, the Delhi Police registered five FIRs against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly posting AI-generated photos and videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the party’s official X handle.

The complaints were linked to videos posted on January 10 and January 13, including one using AI-deepfake technology to depict BJP leaders in a 90s Bollywood film scene.

The FIRs were filed under Section 175 (false statement in connection with an election), Section 336(2) (forgery), Section 336(4) (any false document or false electronic record) and Section 353 (misinformation leading to public disturbance) of the Information Technology Act at different police stations in the capital.

While the police refrained from disclosing specific details, sources confirmed receiving complaints about objectionable content on AAP’s official social media account.