Meta Forms Team to Combat Misinformation Ahead of European Parliament Elections

In preparation for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the establishment of a dedicated team to tackle the spread of misinformation and the abuse of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative comes amidst growing concerns regarding election interference and the proliferation of misleading AI-generated content worldwide.

The newly formed team, comprising experts from various fields including intelligence, data science, engineering, research, operations, content policy, and legal, will operate an Elections Operations Center to swiftly identify and address potential threats in real time. Marco Pancini, Meta’s head of EU affairs, emphasized the company’s commitment to combating misinformation, countering influence operations, and mitigating the risks associated with the misuse of generative AI technology.

In addition to its existing collaborations with 26 independent fact-checking organizations covering 22 languages in the European Union, Meta plans to expand its network by adding three new partners in Bulgaria, France, and Slovakia. Furthermore, Meta, along with Microsoft, OpenAI, and 17 other tech companies, has recently pledged to collaborate in preventing deceptive AI-generated content from interfering with elections globally this year. This collective effort underscores the importance of safeguarding the integrity of democratic processes in the digital age.