A Comparative Study of Countering Fake News during Election Periods and the Role the Iranian Legal System Plays

The legal approach countries employ to counter fake news at election times varies. In order to tackle this phenomenon, some countries have a general criminal and civil code. This is mainly due the absence of a law explicitly prohibiting fake news published on social media at election times. In some countries, election laws refer to a ban on broadcasting fake news, but other countries focus on fake news, and relay them on social media or websites. According to the Iranian General Election Policy, the destruction of candidates is illegal. Furthermore, under the label of defamation and spreading disinformation, criminal law has been used to tackle fake news in both parliamentary and presidential elections. Therefore using false headlines or statements in election campaigns or causing election disruption can be investigated. However, given the importance and impact of news on the fate of elections, it is necessary, especially in the case of online news sites or social media, which now play an increasingly greater role in elections, to broaden legal provisions in order to amend electoral laws or to enact special laws to counter fake news during the entire election process.