New Delhi: As India prepares for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Meta, the parent company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, unveils its comprehensive strategy to counter misinformation, uphold election integrity, and foster transparency on its platforms.
Misinformation, whether in audio, video, image, or text form, presents a formidable challenge during elections, capable of swiftly spreading and influencing public opinion. In the digital age, misinformation can exploit echo chambers and confirmation biases, posing risks of swaying voter perceptions, eroding trust in electoral processes, and inciting unrest.
In a recent blog post, Meta elucidated its robust approach to supporting free and fair elections, leveraging its vast resources and global expertise in safeguarding democratic norms.
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Meta’s Approach
With a global workforce of approximately 40,000 dedicated to safety and security, Meta has invested over $20 billion since 2016 in teams and technologies. This includes 15,000 content reviewers proficient in over 70 languages, including 20 Indian languages, tasked with scrutinizing content across Meta’s platforms.
Meta has pioneered transparency tools for ads related to social issues, elections, or politics, complemented by stringent policies to thwart election interference and voter fraud. Moreover, it hosts the largest third-party fact-checking program among social media platforms, collaborating with 11 partners across India covering 16 languages.
To tackle the evolving threat landscape, Meta will establish an India-specific Elections Operations Center, manned by experts across various domains within the company. This center will monitor and counter potential threats in real-time across Meta’s suite of apps and technologies.
In collaboration with the Election Commission of India through the Voluntary Code of Ethics, Meta pledges to promptly address unlawful content flagged by the commission. The platform will intensify efforts to remove misinformation that could suppress voting or incite violence, particularly false claims targeting religious communities.
Recognizing the risks associated with the misuse of AI-generated content, Meta commits to monitoring emerging trends and updating policies accordingly. The platform enforces rigorous Community Standards and Guidelines governing all content, whether AI-generated or user-generated, with AI-generated content subjected to scrutiny by independent fact-checkers to curtail distribution.
In a bid to enhance transparency, Meta mandates advertisers globally to disclose the use of AI or digital methods in creating or altering political or social issue ads. Advertisers must undergo an authorization process and include a “paid for by” disclaimer, with all pertinent information archived in the publicly accessible Ad Library for seven years.
Beyond combatting misinformation, Meta is actively engaged in consumer education initiatives to empower users in identifying and addressing falsehoods. Partnering with the Misinformation Combat Alliance, Meta introduces a WhatsApp helpline to combat AI-generated misinformation, alongside training sessions for law enforcement officials.
WhatsApp, under Meta’s purview, continues implementing measures to curb virality, including limiting message forwarding and enhancing user privacy controls.
In late March, as the election countdown begins, Meta will launch the ‘Celebrate Each Vote’ campaign in collaboration with national and regional creators to promote voter awareness and combat apathy. Through these concerted efforts, Meta aims to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes and foster informed civic engagement in India’s forthcoming elections.
