Bhubaneswar: A special cyber cell of police has taken steps to block at least 249 offensive posts from different social media platforms ahead of upcoming elections in Odisha. The designated monitoring cell was earlier constituted on the orders of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

“Commissionerate Police has set up a Cyber Help Desk to address fake news and misleading information during the election process. This initiative operates under the Voluntary Code of Ethics to manage quick responses to fake news or unverified media stories related to elections. The focus is on issues such as electronic voting machines (EVMs), electoral rolls, law and order, postal ballots, and disinformation campaigns in various social media formats,” an official spokesperson said.

The Cyber Help Desk is functioning in the cyber police station in Bhubaneswar, which is taking steps to takedown inappropriate content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) that violate the Voluntary Code of Ethics and Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

A total of 249 notices have been issued so far to takedown such offensive posts, including 68 from Facebook, 144 from Instagram, and 37 from ‘X’. Additionally, 110 social media handles are under strict surveillance of the cyber cell.

So far, four complaints related to social media content have been received from the public. The remaining 245 cases were detected by the social media team of Cyber PS and the Cyber Mitra volunteers. The reported posts include morphed images, fake information, altered audio, and defamatory content which tarnish the image of different political parties.

With this proactive approach, the Commissionerate Police aims to ensure the integrity of the election process by swiftly addressing and mitigating any spread of fake news and misinformation.

The Cyber Help Desk remains committed to preserving a fair and transparent electoral environment. In this context, the Commissionerate Police circulated a helpline number and an E-mail ID to lodge complaints. In case of exigencies, the Cyber Help Desk can be contacted at:

Helpline No: 7440006709

E-mail IDs: [email protected] and [email protected]