With the upcoming March 5 House of Representatives elections, disinformation campaigns threaten the integrity of the electoral process. Social media is flooded with misleading content, significantly heightened by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Instances of AI-generated images and fake videos showing election candidates in distress have caused public concern. The Cyber Bureau of the Nepal Police is actively pursuing those spreading violent threats, having identified 302 harmful pieces of content related to the elections. Most of this fake information comes from political parties and is designed to manipulate public perception.
The monetization of social media incentivizes content creators to prioritize sensational narratives over truth, leading to the rapid spread of disinformation. Authorities, however, face challenges such as legal constraints, insufficient manpower, and the need for better coordination to combat this surge. Nepal lacks digital governance frameworks seen in other nations, but the Election Commission (EC) is negotiating partnerships with platforms like Meta and TikTok to mitigate misinformation.
Legal penalties exist for spreading false information, including fines and imprisonment. Overall, disinformation erodes trust in the electoral process, leading to polarized and misinformed voter behavior. To ensure democracy’s integrity, immediate action is necessary to address these challenges.
