Meta braces for LS polls with proactive measures

As India gears up for the pivotal General Elections in 2024, Meta, the parent company of prominent social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announces its proactive measures to combat misinformation, enhance transparency, and safeguard against voter interference.

In anticipation of the electoral event, Meta is poised to activate an Elections Operations Center, equipped to swiftly detect and address potential threats in real time. In a recent blog post, Meta unveiled its latest mandate, compelling advertisers worldwide to disclose the use of AI or digital methods in the creation or alteration of political or social issue advertisements under specific conditions. This requirement applies particularly to advertisements featuring photorealistic imagery or videos, or realistic audio digitally manipulated to portray individuals engaging in actions they did not perform or utter.

This proactive step follows a cautionary advisory from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) concerning the proliferation of AI-generated deep fakes. Meta's announcement aligns with recent initiatives by Google, demonstrating a concerted effort among major tech firms to address AI-generated risks ahead of the Indian General Elections.

Criticism has often been leveled at social media platforms for facilitating the dissemination of misleading or altered political advertisements, particularly through deep fake videos or audio, potentially influencing electoral outcomes, according to political observers.

In addition to disclosure of requirements, advertisers will undergo an authorization process and must include a "paid for by" disclaimer, with all relevant information archived in Meta's publicly accessible Ad Library for a period of seven years.

Meta underscores its substantial investment in safety and security, boasting a global team of over 40,000 personnel dedicated to these endeavors, with investments exceeding $20 billion since 2016. Moreover, Meta is launching consumer education initiatives aimed at empowering users to identify and counter misinformation effectively. Initiatives such as the 'Know What's Real' campaign aim to educate users on recognizing and addressing misinformation on WhatsApp and Instagram, while providing tools to report suspicious content.

In collaboration with the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA), Meta has introduced a WhatsApp helpline to combat AI-generated misinformation, particularly deep fakes. Additional measures, including restrictions on message forwarding on WhatsApp, are intended to mitigate the spread of misinformation.