Tensions Between Social Media and Democracy

Published on May 20, 2024

Executive Note

The Takshashila Institution organised a conference on 24th April 2024 to understand tensions between social media and democracy, with a particular focus on elections. Takshashila's Bharat Sharma, Satya Sahu, and Sachin Kalbag, presented papers covering diverse themes concerning institutional approaches to election misinformation, disinformation, and malformation, and the impact of technology on elections.  Prateek Waghre, Executive Director at the Internet Freedom Foundation, chaired the conference. This document is a compendium of the two working papers presented at the conference. 

In the first paper, Bharat Sharma outlines explores the current institutional mechanisms for dealing with election-related misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM). He analyses the institutional responses to election MDM in different jurisdictions such as India, Finland, the European Union, and the United States.

In the second, Satya Sahu and Sachin Kalbag analyse technology's intricate and multifaceted influence on elections and political decision-making. They examine how various technologies are being leveraged by political parties. Furthermore, they explore how the dynamic interplay between political parties and governmental structures shapes India's technological ecosystem.

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