Electoral Officer Slams Social Media Giants' Reluctance To Tackle Election Disinformation
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Concerns over social media networks' unwillingness to address disinformation are growing, Australia's chief electoral officer, Tom Rogers, warned during a senate inquiry on Monday.
Rogers said that even when content endangers the integrity of elections, these corporations are more often choosing to filter it instead of removing it completely.
"We've noticed less willingness from the social media companies to remove content that we think in some cases may breach their standards or indeed is harmful to our staff," Rogers said, according to News.co.au. "We've had issues where there's been threats online that previously would have been removed, they're less likely to remove those."
In addition to calling for preventative measures, Rogers emphasized on the rising threat posed by AI-generated misinformation. He also proposed using digital watermarks on content generated by AI to assist voters in differentiating between authentic and falsified information.
"Not all AI-generated content at election time is bad—there is content that is entirely compliant with the law and would be viewed as such by citizens," observed Rogers.
During the 2022 election, the Electoral Council of Australia and New Zealand had asked social media businesses to assist in proper practices and prevent the spread of misinformation. However, Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) did not support this, despite backing from Microsoft, TikTok, Google, and Meta. Social media companies frequently argue that free speech justifies not censoring political material.
Several U.S. legislators, including Reps. Terri Sewell and Shontel Brown, have also expressed concern over the role of AI in disseminating false information during elections. In a letter written by members of both parties, they warned government authorities that AI has the potential to deceive voters, reduce turnout, and cause problems for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections.
Sewell stressed on safeguarding Black voters, who were disproportionately targeted. The letter, which was sponsored by civil rights organizations like the NAACP and signed by 31 congressmen, calls for prompt government action to prevent AI-driven voter suppression and maintain the integrity of elections.
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