Meta mandates AI usage disclosure for political content on Facebook, Instagram

In a move to increase transparency and combat misinformation, Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:). announced on Wednesday, that advertisers on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, must now disclose when significant artificial intelligence (AI) assistance is used to create or alter political content. The disclosure requirement applies particularly to social issue, election, and political ads, especially those with photorealistic images or synthetic content created using AI or inaccurately depicting real people or events.

The information was released via a blog post by the company. Inconsequential alterations such as image cropping or color correction are exempt from this rule unless they result in consequential changes to an ad’s claim. Non-compliance with these new guidelines may lead to ad rejection or penalties for repeated offenses.

This development comes amid heightened scrutiny by the EU Commission of online platforms over misinformation. The commission has been closely examining falsified images related to the Gaza war circulating on various platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, owned by Elon Musk.

The new policy by Meta is seen as a step towards addressing concerns raised by regulatory bodies about the potential misuse of AI technology in digital advertising and the propagation of false information. The company’s decision emphasizes the growing importance of transparency and accountability in the use of AI in digital advertising.

Earlier in the year, Meta had enhanced its AI advertising toolkit and Advantage+, providing marketers with the ability to generate copy and background images from text prompts and blend various creative assets into new ads. This new disclosure requirement aligns with these earlier efforts to improve AI capabilities while ensuring ethical use.

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