Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police has set up a special police unit to curb the spread of fake news on social media in the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections. IGP (Crime Branch) Shefeen Ahamed has been appointed the nodal officer of this special unit.
Talking to the media, DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi said, “There is a specific guideline from the ECI regarding fake news and misinformation. An IG rank officer in coordination with the IT department will monitor all news content on social media and deal with false online content related to elections.”
Odisha police have urged people to refrain from spreading fake news and misinformation and warned of stringent action against people and organisations sharing fake and provocative content on social media platforms.
“Our officers have been trained as per the instructions in the Model Code of Conduct. Our social media cell is also functioning. The cyber cell will respond to any related complaints,” Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said.
Meanwhile, police in different district headquarters in the state have also created teams to monitor social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube for fake news. They have also set up dedicated phone numbers to receive complaints regarding fake and objectionable poll-related content on social media from people and candidates.
