Codes of Conduct

The information environment is influenced by various actors in the election process.  

• Candidates and political parties are the most prominent actors in the field. This is the focus of this document.  
• Media outlets have a powerful role in deciding what and how to report the events around an election.  
• Civil society groups, in particular those observing the election, can have both a positive or negative impact on the election process through their actions and statements.  
• The staff of the election management body may engage in social media activity in ways that impact the information environment of the election.  
• There are likely various online actors who are not politicians but have an outsized impact upon the informational space, those identified as influencers. Some may be involved in political activities or punditry, while others may have never previously engaged in political messaging. Developing a code of conduct to guide their behaviour may be beneficial.   
• Platforms invariably have an impact upon the online space, primarily through their decision around accepting political advertisements, and their content moderation policies and enforcement. New technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence also raise new questions around the content creation perspective.  

How and when the code will be negotiated and enforced will require consideration and planning. The process may take time to reach an agreement, and putting in place any monitoring process may also require significant effort. However, election calendars vary, and the ability to perform the required tasks before the election begins in earnest may be difficult. 

The specific provisions will need to reflect the context the election is taking place in and the entities who are expected to join the code of conduct. 

Many rules are equally appropriate to behaviour conducted online and offline. However, there are specific items that only apply to the digital space. Even where provisions may be interchangeable, the explicit reference to the internet and social media can help to sharpen minds and reflect the increased role social media plays in the campaigns of leaders.   

The following are primarily related to codes of conduct for political parties and candidates.  

In broad terms when trying to counter actions that can be damaging to the information environment: prohibiting intimidation, harassment and abusive behaviour, victimisation, abuse and hateful language are all common inclusions. Also, the acceptance of the importance of robust critical discussion of political views, in contrast to personal attacks, which are clearly not acceptable. Fairness, respect, tolerance and dignity are other common themes.1 Provisions may also attempt to cover other issues, such as behaviour regarding political advertising, approaches to more professionally and safely operate online, and supportive activities to promote information integrity. 

A number of specific examples are listed below, however we would add that as the technological landscape evolves new concerns and opportunities will emerge. For example, the increased efficacy of generative artificial intelligence is creating new campaigning and disinformation opportunities which are yet to be fully understood. Similarly, norms will also shift, changing what is considered acceptable, for example, increased concerns over data privacy have potential impacts on campaigning. 

The below are not intended as recommendations nor are they exhaustive. Rather, they are intended to provide inspiration for possible provisions. Specific provisions should be contextualized, and are expected to be designed based on the political priorities of the involved actors:  

• Not to use or spread information pollution;
• Not to engage in the fabrication of information pollution, or to do so through intermediaries; 
• Not to disseminate falsified media, including synthetic media and deep fakes;
• Refrain from posting, disseminating, or promoting content that incites violence or hate speech; 
• Refrain from unethical or potentially harmful online behaviour, 
• To not disseminate online content in view of voter dissuasion, 
• To not disseminate disinformation about the voting process,  
• To not use fake accounts or automatic bots to manipulate voter opinions,  
• To not engage in trolling, unfounded accusations or cyber-bullying;  
• To commit to sharing corrections to disinformation from either themselves or supporters 
• To agree to abide by the campaign silence period online
  To make transparent the use of any coordinated network activity to disseminate messages 
• To disclose the use of online paid advertising 
• To strictly adhere to online platforms’ advertisement policies and mechanisms 
• To inform about registration and verification processes; respond to inquiries regarding ad authorization and verification processes. 
• To maintain ethical limits to linking different data sets and uploading them to online platforms for the purpose of microtargeting 
• To be transparent about the use of user data and to manage data sets in a professional manner, including ensuring privacy where required and respecting user preferences 
• To refrain from psychological profiling for targeting purposes in online political advertising. 
• To be transparent about foreign and domestic sources of campaign financing, including online political advertising purchases 
• To disclose the use of social media consulting firms 
• To ensure that political party or candidate office staff are trained on the nature of information concerns and best practice. 
• To train staff in media literacy and risk awareness  
• To take active steps to maintain good cyber hygiene – including ensuring that social media accounts and data is kept securely  
• To promote information integrity to the broader public 
• To raise awareness on the code of conduct internally and promote compliance among candidates, campaign staff, party sections and other bodies, and affiliated institutions.