Meta AI Lifts Restrictions on Election-Related Queries in India, While Google Continues to Enforce Limits

With India's election process concluded and a new government in office, Meta has lifted its restrictions on election-related queries using its Meta AI chatbot. In contrast, Google continues to enforce limits on similar queries as part of its global policies.

Meta's Approach

Meta's lifted restrictions mean users can now easily search for queries related to India’s election results, political figures, and information about officeholders.

Initially, Meta began blocking specific political queries when the election in India commenced in April. During that time, Meta AI directed users to the Election Commission’s website for information on politicians, candidates, and political parties. A spokesperson for the company stated, “This is a new technology, and it may not always provide the intended responses, similar to all generative AI systems. Since our launch, we’ve consistently rolled out updates and improvements to our models and will continue to enhance them.”

It’s important to note that Meta's AI chatbot remains in its testing phase in India, with access limited to a select group of users on platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram.

Google's Approach

On Monday, Google introduced its Gemini AI application for Android in India, which supports nine local languages. However, the company is not lifting its election-related query restrictions due to its global policy. Google confirmed that these limitations remain in place.

A Google spokesperson explained, “With significant elections occurring globally this year, we are restricting the types of election-related queries for which Gemini will return responses and instead directing users to Google Search. These restrictions apply worldwide.” Google began enforcing these restrictions in any global market where elections are taking place earlier this year. However, it remains unclear when or if Google will lift these restrictions, particularly in countries where elections have already concluded and new governments have been formed.

The strategies for addressing political queries differ between Meta and Google. While Meta imposed temporary restrictions, Google continues to block election-related queries on a global scale. It is uncertain whether this decision is influenced by instances where Google’s AI provided inaccurate responses earlier this year.

Other chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, adopt a mixed strategy. Both of these bots do not answer direct questions like “Who won the Indian general election of 2024?” However, they do retrieve information from the web when asked about officeholders and politicians.

As companies developing AI tools face increasing scrutiny over biases and misinformation, they aim to avoid becoming embroiled in political controversies while expanding their AI applications into new regions.