A misleading seven-second clip of President Biden has sparked a call for Meta to review its policies on manipulated media. The Oversight Board, an external advisory group for Meta, has issued a decision urging the platform to rewrite its rules regarding faked videos.
Key Takeaway
The Oversight Board has urged Meta to reevaluate its policies on manipulated media, emphasizing the need for urgent changes in light of global elections.
Review of the Biden Video Case
The case in question involves a doctored video of President Biden, where a short, edited version of a genuine video was manipulated to depict the President inappropriately. The Oversight Board took on the case after a Facebook user reported the video and Meta declined to remove it. In its decision, the Oversight Board found Meta’s policy on altered videos to be “incoherent” and called for urgent changes in light of global elections.
Proposed Changes and Recommendations
The Oversight Board suggested that Meta’s rules should focus on preventing harm rather than the method of content creation. It recommended adding labels to altered videos to flag them as such, instead of relying solely on fact-checkers. The Board believes that this approach would maximize freedom of expression, mitigate potential harm, and provide more information for users.
Meta’s Response and Future Implications
Meta has confirmed that it is reviewing the Oversight Board’s guidance and will issue a public response within 60 days. This call for policy revision comes amidst concerns about the spread of misinformation and manipulated media, particularly as the 2024 presidential race ramps up.
