How India plans to curb hate speech ahead of the world's biggest election

India is preparing to tighten regulations to deal with an expected escalation in social media-driven hate speech in the lead up to next year’s poll.

The Election Commission of India has established a panel to examine the growing use of platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Youtube and recommend ways to deal with violations, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa said in an interview. The nation has seen a rise in religious and ethnic tensions in recent months, with at least 24 people killed this year due in part to fake rumors spread on social media about child kidnappings and cow smuggling.

“Fake