In preparation for a potential surge of manipulated media, including deepfake content, during the 2024 election season, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a new policy. Political advertisers will be required to disclose when they use digitally created or altered media in their advertisements, as stated in a recent blog post.
Meta’s policy mandates that advertisers reveal the use of “photorealistic image or video, or realistic sounding audio” that has been digitally manipulated or created during the ad-buying process. Nick Clegg, the President for Global Affairs at Meta, confirmed that this policy will be effective worldwide early next year, conveniently aligning with the 2024 presidential primaries and caucuses.
Under this policy, Meta will scrutinize advertisements to ensure compliance with the disclosure requirements. If an advertiser fails to disclose altered media as mandated, their ad will be rejected, and repeated non-compliance may lead to penalties. Additionally, Meta will affix a label to these ads to inform viewers of their altered nature.
It’s important to note that this policy does not prohibit the use of altered media entirely, acknowledging the prevalence of AI-generated content in the digital landscape. In recent examples, the Republican National Committee used AI to create a 30-second ad envisioning a second term for President Joe Biden, and critics of former President Donald Trump circulated fake AI-generated images of his arrest.
Meta’s aim with this policy is to ensure transparency and prevent the misleading use of synthesized media in political advertising. This move follows a similar decision by Google in September, which required advertisers to disclose “synthetic” media. Given that Google and Meta are the two largest internet advertising companies by total sales, their actions often set industry standards.
Meta has a history of dealing with manipulated videos and photos, with controversies dating back to 2019. The company faced criticism for refusing to remove altered videos of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leading to policy changes in the subsequent year to label or ban certain posts featuring manipulated media.
Advancements in generative AI have made it easier to create realistic fake content, raising challenges for online platforms, political candidates, and voters. While Meta continues to ban manipulated media in specific scenarios as outlined in its rulebook, this new advertising policy will address situations where real individuals are portrayed as saying or doing things they did not, including deepfake technology.
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The disclosure requirement will not be enforced for inconsequential or immaterial digital editing in advertisements, as stated by Meta.