Meta to mark AI, deepfakes to shield election integrity | Port ...
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Social Media Platforms Combatting Voting Interference
Major social media platforms will work to combat voting interference during the Australian election as voters face misinformation during the political campaign. or signup to continue reading.
Meta's Actions Against AI-Generated and Deepfake Content
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, will require posts generated by artificial intelligence or digitally manipulated to carry a disclaimer. It follows concerns that realistic deepfakes - digitally altered images, video, or audio that are becoming harder to detect - could be used to spread disinformation and fake news during the election campaign. Photorealistic content in ads created by Meta AI will carry a label, as will generated images users post to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock.
More prominent labels will be added to altered images, video, or audio that creates a high risk of deceiving the public on a matter of importance, Meta said. Ads that don't adhere will be rejected, and repeat offenders will face penalties. Advertisers who run ads about social issues, elections, or politics also have to include authorizations including a "paid for by" disclaimer, and they are accessible on Meta's publicly available library.
Ensuring Election Integrity
Training sessions are run with candidates and political parties ahead of the election to ensure they have the correct authorizations during the campaign. Analyzing other elections worldwide, Meta found concerns about the rampant spread of deepfakes and misinformation didn't materialize in a significant way.
While such posts were used, they were low in volume, which echoes what Australia's acting electoral commissioner said about deepfakes during the US election. Fewer than one per cent of fact-checked misinformation on posts about social issues, elections, and politics were AI-generated, Meta determined.
Combatting Foreign Influence Operations
The company is also working to track coordinated foreign influence operations and says it has taken down more than 200 of these networks since 2017. Misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm or election interference will be removed per Meta's policies.
Meta continues to work with Agence France-Presse and Australian Associated Press to fact-check posts, and those that are debunked will carry a warning label and have distribution limited so they're less likely to be seen. It is also working with the Australian Electoral Commission to connect voters to verified information across its platforms, the company said. Users will receive a reminder to vote on polling day.
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