Meta's Board Criticizes Company Over Fake Biden Video
The Facts
Meta's independent Oversight Board criticized the tech giant’s policy on manipulated media, saying that it is "incoherent" and overly focused on content that is altered with artificial intelligence. The statement comes after the board reviewed a doctored video that portrayed Pres. Joe Biden inappropriately touching his granddaughter.
In a ruling on Monday, the board determined that the video in question did not violate Meta's policies and could remain on the platform. The content was posted in May 2023.
The Spin
Narrative A
Meta's Oversight Board made very common-sense suggestions regarding manipulated content that respects freedom of expression online while seriously addressing the issue of altered content that could deceive voters. The proliferation of both AI-altered and non-AI-altered media has become a serious concern and is a big issue for democracy. Labeling audio and video media as "manipulated" will go a long way to ensuring that people are informed about what they are watching while not removing any and all satire.
Narrative B
While Meta’s Oversight Board levied some valid criticisms of the company’s manipulated content policy, its ruling on the fake Biden video is quite problematic given the imminence of the 2024 election and the amount of altered content circulating online. Many people are deceived by fake content online, and allowing a video that falsely depicts the president is dangerous — even if it's labeled as a manipulated video. The Oversight Board should have removed the fake video and issued a more iron-clad ruling.
