In the lead-up to major elections, social media giants are taking proactive measures to combat the spread of misinformation and deceptive content on their platforms. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has unveiled a new strategy to tackle the growing concern of AI-generated and deepfake content, which has the potential to mislead users and influence public opinion.
At the heart of Meta’s approach is the introduction of a prominent “altered” label for content that has been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) or deepfake technology. This label will be applied to videos, images, audio, and other forms of content that Meta’s fact-checkers and algorithms identify as artificially created or altered.
The labeling system aims to provide users with transparency and raise awareness about the nature of the content they encounter. By clearly marking AI-generated or manipulated content as “altered,” Meta hopes to empower users to make informed decisions and critically evaluate the information they consume.
However, Meta’s efforts go beyond mere labeling. The company has announced that content marked as “altered” will receive lower distribution and visibility across Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook, such content will appear lower in users’ feeds, while on Instagram, it will be excluded from the Explore feature, reducing its discoverability.
For content that does not violate Meta’s policies but is identified as AI-generated, the company plans to implement visible and invisible markers, watermarks, and metadata. This approach aims to provide additional context and transparency without directly suppressing the content.
Meta is also collaborating with various AI companies, including Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock, to develop tools for labeling AI-generated images posted on its platforms. This cross-industry collaboration underscores the importance of a unified effort in addressing the challenges posed by AI-generated content.
Furthermore, Meta plans to establish country-specific Elections Operations Centers, where experts from various fields, such as data science, engineering, content policy, and legal teams, will work together to identify potential threats and implement real-time mitigations across its apps and technologies.
As AI technology continues to advance and the creation of synthetic media becomes more accessible, platforms like Meta are taking proactive steps to maintain transparency and combat the spread of misinformation. By labeling AI-generated content and reducing its distribution, Meta aims to foster a more trustworthy and responsible online environment, particularly during critical events like elections.
