Meta Oversight Board Finds Holes in Facebook and Instagram Company's Manipulated Media Policy, Urges Changes

Meta and its two biggest platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are constantly blamed for spreading fake news, and an oversight board found that its manipulated media policy may be responsible as it has several holes in it that can be manipulated to spread false information.

The Meta oversight board stated that the policies to capture audio and non-AI-generated media must be updated to stop the spread of misinformation on Facebook and Instagram. It described the policy as "lacking in persuasive justification" and "incoherent and confusing to users."

However, the oversight board also agreed to leave the manipulated video that claimed President Joe Biden was a pedophile up on the Meta-owned social media platforms. It also made other recommendations for changes that should happen in the company's current AI and manipulated media policies.

These suggestions included telling Meta that it should apply broader rules around manipulated media amid its failure to treat so-called "cheap fakes," which, according to Cyberscoop, are altered ideas without the use of AI technology that have "the same level of seriousness as AI-manipulated content."

The board is urging these changes as elections are happening all over the world this year, including in the US, as experts warn that voters could be influenced by manipulated media of all sorts.

What the Meta Oversight Board Found Regarding Facebook and Instagram Policies

"As it stands, the policy makes little sense," Oversight Board co-chair Michael McConnell said after the board's findings were released, suggesting that Meta should close the gaps in its policies while at the same time ensuring political speech is "unwaveringly protected."

As for Meta itself, the company behind Facebook and Instagram stated that it is reviewing the Oversight Board's guidance and will respond to the recommendations publicly within the next 60 days, according to the Associated Press.

Meta Spokesperson Corey Chambliss stated that while audio deepfakes aren't mentioned in the company's manipulated media policy, they can still be fact-checked and will be labeled or down-ranked if fact-checkers find that they are false or have been altered.

In addition, the board also found some forms of manipulated media that were originally made for humor, parody, or satire should be protected, urging Meta that the company should instead focus "on the harm manipulated posts can cause, such as disrupting the election process."

What Did the Fake Joe Biden Video That Prompted the Meta Investigation To Happen Show?

The investigation by the Meta Oversight Board came after a manipulated video of Joe Biden surfaced, appearing as if he touched a young woman's chest inappropriately. However, as Axios pointed out, that young woman was actually Biden's granddaughter, and the original unedited video showed a far different story.

The original footage showed the president exchanging "I Voted" stickers with his adult granddaughter, who had voted for the first time. He then placed the sticker above her chest with her consent before kissing her on the cheek. The manipulated version was altered to loop when Biden made contact with his granddaughter's chest to make it look like he touched her inappropriately.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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