Meta Oversight Board to weigh in on manipulated Biden video

The Meta Oversight Board will hear a case over a manipulated video of President Biden in a decision that could lead to recommendations over Facebook and Instagram’s political misinformation policies, the board announced Tuesday. 

The board will review a case over a video posted of Biden during the 2022 midterm elections. A video of Biden placing an “I Voted” sticker on his adult granddaughter and then kissing her on the cheek was altered in a Facebook post, showing it on a loop so that it repeats the moment where Biden’s “hand makes contact with his granddaughter’s chest,” according to the board’s announcement. 

The altered video was accompanied by a caption calling Biden a “sick pedophile” and saying the people who voted for him are “mentally unwell.” 

Meta did not take the video down. The company said its manipulated media rules did not warrant the removal of the content because it only applies to videos generated by artificial intelligence (AI) or those that have a subject shown saying words they did not say, according to the oversight board. 

Thomas Hughes, director of the Oversight Board Administration, said in a statement that although the specific case involves Biden, it “touches on the much border issue of how manipulated media might impact elections in every corner of the world.” 

“Free speech is vitally important, it’s the cornerstone of democratic governance, but there are complex questions concerning what Meta’s human rights responsibilities should be regarding video content that has been altered to create a misleading impression of a public figure. It’s important that we look at what challenges and best practices Meta should adopt when it comes to authenticating video content at scale,” Hughes added.

The board comprises a panel of global academics, experts and civic leaders and is run independently of Meta. It is funded by an independent trust provided by the tech company. 

The board’s content decisions are binding, meaning if the board rules Meta acted wrong in leaving the video up, then the platform will have to remove it. But policy recommendations are nonbinding, meaning any recommendations the board makes in terms of how Meta should amend its policies will be up to Meta to choose to put in place or not. 

Concerns around manipulated media, especially in election content, are rising along with the increased use of generative AI tools. Already, AI has been used in posts by candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination. 

The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) is also weighing a decision to consider new rules about the use of AI in campaigns.