Meta's Strategy: Tackling Misinformation In Australia

Meta Platforms is enhancing its fact-checking initiatives in Australia to combat misinformation and deepfakes amid upcoming elections. The company aims to remove harmful content and limit misleading information distribution on Facebook and Instagram, collaborating with news agencies for content assessment.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced its upgraded fact-checking program in Australia. This initiative is aimed at detecting and eliminating false content and deepfakes in preparation for the national election due by May. The social media giant emphasized its commitment to removing any content that might incite imminent violence, cause physical harm, or interfere with voting processes, while also curbing the spread of misleading information across its platforms.

Cheryl Seeto, Meta's Head of Policy in Australia, stated that content debunked by fact-checkers will receive warning labels and have reduced visibility in Feed and Explore modes. Local news agencies Agence France-Presse and the Australian Associated Press are collaborating with Meta for content review. This move follows a significant overhaul of Meta's fact-checking programs in the U.S., partly influenced by political pressures related to key topics such as immigration and gender identity.

In addition, Meta is clamping down on deepfake technology, wherein hyper-realistic AI-generated videos, images, or audio mimic reality. Any such content violating Meta's policies will either be removed or marked "altered" and demoted in the feed. If AI-generated content doesn't breach policies, Meta intends for users to be informed about its synthetic nature. This strategy aligns with Meta's global efforts to tackle misinformation during key elections worldwide.

(With inputs from agencies.)