Meta to require political advertisers disclose AI-generated content

Meta announced Wednesday that it would require advertisers to disclose when potentially misleading AI-generated or altered content appears in ads about political, electoral or social issues.

The new rule applies to ads on Facebook and Instagram that contain “realistic” images, videos or audio that falsely show someone doing something they never did or imagining a real event unfolding differently than it actually did. Content that depicts realistic-looking fake people or events would also need to be disclosed. The policy is expected to take effect next year.

“In the New Year, advertisers running ads about social issues, elections and politics with Meta will have to disclose whether the image or sound has been digitally created or altered, including with AI, to show real people doing or saying things that They have not done. done or said,” Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, said in a Threads post on Wednesday.

Content that has been edited in a way “that is of no consequence or irrelevant to the claim, claim or issue raised in the ad,” such as cropping or color correction, does not need to be disclosed, according to Wednesday’s Meta blog post .

For ads that contain digitally altered content, Meta says it will flag the information to users and record it in Meta’s ad database.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Meta was prohibiting campaigns and political groups from using its new slate of generative AI advertising products. The tools allow advertisers to create multiple versions of ads, including different backgrounds, text, and image and video sizes.

The decision to reveal AI-generated content in political ads comes as lawmakers and regulators are preparing to address the issue themselves ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Earlier this year, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced bills requiring campaigns to disclose when ads include AI-generated content. The Federal Election Commission, the regulatory agency in charge of political advertising, is also expected to make a decision on a new rule requiring political campaigns to disclose their use of AI-generated content. It is unclear exactly when a vote on this rule could take place.