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The catchphrase “fake news,” which sparked amusement during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, is no longer a laughing matter. Now Facebook is taking steps to prove it. On Tuesday, the social media giant announced that it will now ban deepfake video content from its site, according to a new policy update. Deepfake video is content altered so adroitly by artificial intelligence algorithms that it falsely convinces the reader of its authenticity. New, enhanced digital manipulation software that superimposes content can give undue credibility to media that was once readily identifiable as false. Since the swift and widespread circulation of false information in social media has an exponential effect for the misinformed and their followers, Facebook’s ban may offer a glimmer of hope. While some applaud Facebook for taking this step, the decision does raise eyebrows. Facebook’s timing is questionable, given that this week’s announcement came just days before a congressional hearing...
Today, the EU released a report detailing the actions it has taken in partnership with major tech companies —Twitter, Google, and Facebook — to combat the spread of fake news. Since 2015, the European Commission has taken steps to fight misinformation online by providing self-regulatory guidelines for companies, establishing a Code of Practice for the platforms and advertisers, and pushing for increased transparency on the political ad policies on social media websites. Despite all of that, the Commission said that there was still an influx of targeted online attacks on the platforms ahead of recent EU elections. The Commission is now calling on tech companies to do more to stop the spread of fake news. The Commission said in its report: “…all online platforms need to provide more detailed information allowing the identification of malign actors and targeted Member States They should also intensify their cooperation with fact checkers and empower users to better detect...
Deleting fake news accounts can be a big game of whack-a-mole. It seems like no matter how many of these disruptive pages social platforms like Facebook and Twitter get rid of, more pop up. Now Twitter is turning to automation to help delete and manage accounts more efficiently. Twitter announced that it has acquired Fabula AI , a London-based artificial intelligence company that specializes in “Geometric Deep Learning to identify fake news,” according to the company’s website. “This strategic investment in graph deep learning research, technology and talent will be a key driver as we work to help people feel safe on Twitter and help them see relevant information,” Twitter said in a blog post . The company said that Fabula’s initial focus will be to “improve the health” of conversations on Twitter and expand applications to stop spam and abuse. “We are really excited to join the ML research team at Twitter, and work together to grow their team and capabilities,” Fabula co-founder...
Online misinformation is a huge problem across the globe, and different countries are taking their own routes to tackle it. Singapore is set to pass a law that would make sites accountable for “fake news,” according to The Straits Times . The proposed law would allow Singapore’s government to remove content violating its new rules, The Straits Times reported. This falls under the Protection from the Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, which was introduced in Singapore’s parliament on Monday. Under the law, sites would also have to show corrections or display warnings about misinformation. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated, according to The Straits Times, “In extreme and urgent cases, the legislation will also require online news sources to take down fake news before irreparable damage is done.” Other countries are fighting to stop the spread of misinformation as well. Singapore’s proposed law is reminiscent of one in Malaysia, which also criminalizes fake news. It was...
Facebook is cracking down on election interference and propaganda ahead of November’s midterms. Located in Facebook’s headquarters, the ‘war room’ will be the company’s central location for fighting against foreign and domestic campaign interference. The platform announced on its blog on Monday that it is expanding its security tools to protect political campaigns . “Today we’re introducing additional tools to further secure candidates and campaign staff who may be particularly vulnerable to targeting by hackers and foreign adversaries,” said Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher in his blog post. Gleicher said that the additional security is for federal and statewide candidates, as well as their staff and political party committee members. Facebook announced Wednesday that it is also bolstering efforts to get its users registered to vote through a partnership with TurboVote. The company is also teaming up with the National Democratic Institute and the International...