AI Videos Target Women: Oversight Board Slams Meta

Meta is taking action to remove AI-generated videos that target women, including a British politician, following sharp criticism from its Oversight Board. The board found Meta's safeguards against proliferating deepfakes to be "fundamentally inadequate."

The Oversight Board, a review body funded by Meta, demanded the removal of two fabricated videos. One depicted a Scottish councilor making false incendiary comments about refugees, while another aimed to discredit a Muslim woman campaigner by falsely showing her consuming junk food. Both videos showed clear signs of fabrication and undermined Meta's policies on hate speech, misinformation, and harassment.

This situation highlights a broader issue, as noted by Oversight Board Co-Chair Pamela San Martin: "From politicians to private citizens, AI-generated deepfakes are increasingly being used to harass and silence women from engaging in public discourse." The board emphasized that women engaging publicly are disproportionately targeted. While Meta must comply with the board's individual case decisions, its broader policy recommendations are not binding.

Meta stated it welcomed the board's decisions and will comply within seven days. The board also recently urged Meta to reconsider replacing professional fact-checking with crowdsourced models, as Meta had begun testing such a system in Latin America.