Meta’s new policy on deepfake content ahead of 2024 elections

The recent viral deepfake videos of Indian actresses Rashmika Mandanna and Katrina Kaif have started a global conversation on the impact of deepfakes, as global giants like India, the US, and the UK prepare for their general elections in 2024. Deepfake, a term many are becoming rapidly familiar with, refers to media content that has been convincingly altered or created using artificial intelligence.

In response to this rising concern, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has recently announced a policy to tackle misleading deepfakes. The policy demands advertisers to disclose if their ads contain any digitally generated or modified, convincing images or videos, especially related to social issues, elections, or politics.

“Meta’s new policy requires that any time an advert is altered or modified digitally, users will be notified about it. The disclosure will appear on the ad itself. Should Meta find that an advertiser has failed to disclose as mandated, it will cancel the ad, and persistent non-compliance with disclosure requirements may lead to penalties imposed on the advertiser.”

This announcement is expected to play a significant role in stopping the spread of misinformation online. Interestingly, Meta says that minor alterations don’t demand a disclosure. This includes changes like size alterations, image cropping, color correction, image sharpening, or any other inconsequential changes. The policy takes effect from January 2024.

But what happens if users put out deepfake content on Instagram or Facebook? Meta already has policies. If a user posts content claiming that someone said something they didn’t or presents misinformation, they will face penalties from the platform. With the new policy, these rules are extended to advertisers.

Earlier in September, Google also took a similar path, announcing a policy that calls for advertisers to disclose any use of artificial intelligence in creating their ad content. The shift was implemented in November 2023.

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