National: Microsoft, Meta detail plans to fight election disinformation in 2024 | Brandon Vigliarolo/The Register
Microsoft and Meta have unveiled initiatives to address misinformation in the lead-up to the 2024 elections, although the effectiveness of these strategies remains uncertain. Microsoft’s five-step election protection plan, set to be implemented in several countries with critical elections in 2024, includes a Content Credentials service for digital watermarking of images and videos to verify authenticity. However, concerns exist regarding its recognition in Chrome and other web browsers and the potential for metadata tampering. Microsoft also plans to offer advisory services to political campaigns on handling AI and cyber influence, establish an Election Communications Hub, and support legislative changes against harmful uses of technology like the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, introduced in the US Senate in September. Meta, on the other hand, is focusing on ad transparency, requiring disclosure for digitally manipulated or altered content in social, electoral, or political ads, aiming to combat misinformation disseminated through ads. This change will be implemented globally in 2024. Read Article