Meta ordered to remove UK deepfakes as oversight board criticises ‘inadequate’ safeguards

Meta’s Oversight Board has issued a binding ruling ordering the company to remove AI-generated deepfake videos targeting a UK politician and a young Muslim woman. The board criticized Meta’s current safeguards as “fundamentally inadequate” in addressing the rapid proliferation of deceptive AI content. The ruling highlights a pattern where women and public figures are disproportionately targeted by harassment campaigns. The board recommended nine policy changes, including stricter penalties for repeat offenders, the implementation of warning screens for high-risk content, and improved transparency regarding AI labeling. Meta, which previously decided the content did not violate its policies, is now required to take action. The board emphasized that existing policies fail to protect users from AI-driven misinformation and harassment, urging the tech giant to adopt more robust measures to demote deceptive content and better define prohibited manipulated imagery on its platforms.