(USNewsMag.com) – Ahead of the 2024 election, Meta’s Oversight Board is suggesting the company change its policy about manipulated videos to include deepfake videos.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, currently bans videos created or altered digitally using generative artificial intelligence that makes it seem like people said something they did not say. However, videos that show someone doing something they did not do, or created using basic video editing tools are not banned. It does not ban deepfake videos, which use algorithms capable of generating lifelike animals and people and imitating an individual’s likeness.
The Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews manipulated videos, is warning that if Meta does not update its policy about manipulated videos, they could affect the election. The board said Meta needs to include all content that has been doctored and clearly state that the policy aims to prevent election interference.
The warning from the board comes after its ruling about a video featuring President Joe Biden, which was posted to Facebook in May. The current policy led the board to uphold Meta’s decision, allowing the video to remain on the platform.
The board said it is most concerned about audio that has been altered, which is “one of the most potent forms of electoral disinformation” they have seen.
In a statement, Oversight Board Co-Chair Michael McConnell said the current policy “makes little sense” because it only bans videos falsifying what people say, not what they do, and only focuses on content created using artificial intelligence. McConnell added that the amount of misleading content and the tools used to create it are increasing quickly. He said social media platforms need to “keep pace with these changes.”
According to a Meta spokesman, the company is reviewing the board’s recommendations and, within 60 days, will respond publicly.
The board is not the only one calling on social media companies to increase efforts to crack down on manipulated videos. On February 6th, Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, also urged companies to increase their efforts to combat manipulated media.
Copyright 2024, USNewsMag.com
