Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) indicated strategies they have taken to prevent the spread of false information on its platform. The changes include the removal of “deepfake” videos as well as other manipulated videos.
Facebook to remove manipulated and “deepfake” videos
Despite the initiatives, US lawmakers are, however, not convinced, and they indicated that the changes did little. These comments made during a sitting of the House Energy and Commerce committee shows the beginning of the efforts by legislators to probe the company ahead of the 2020 presidential elections. This comes four years after Russia used the platform to spread misinformation during the 2016 election.
At the beginning of the week, the company indicated that it will remove “deepfakes” that depict people in fake videos from its social media platform. The company equally said that it will remove manipulated videos from the platform except for satire or parody content.
Legislators criticize Facebook’s policies
In recent times Facebook has faced regulatory scrutiny regarding its policy. Democrats have been critical on the company questioning its failure to fact check political advertisements. On the other hand, Republicans have criticized the company regarding its discriminatory stand against conservative opinions.
During the subcommittee hearing, Chairperson Jan Schakowsky stated that there is increasing evidence that Facebook has failed to regulate itself. She questioned the move by the company to tackle misinformation, which she said stills a lot out.
Other legislators also pointed to the company’s failure to address the issue of foreign interference, data security, and misinformation. Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers indicated that consumers are increasingly losing trust in online sources they can trust. Cathy stated that more focus should be on innovation to deal with falsified videos instead of regulation.
Facebook’s VP for global policy management Monika Bickert stated that the company recognizes the risks of manipulated videos, and their latest policy will address the issue. However, Monika faced criticism from legislators regarding the decision of the company not to pull down a heavily edited video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The video attempted to make Pelosi appear incoherent by slurring her speech.
