Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has implemented a new policy prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate political ads, according to a report by Reuters. This move extends to other regulated industries, including housing, employment, and more.
The company spokesperson stated that advertisers in these restricted categories cannot utilize Meta’s new generative AI advertising products. A detailed list of prohibited advertising topics was provided in an update on Meta’s help center.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s top policy executive, acknowledged the need for updated rules regarding the use of generative AI in political advertising. He emphasized the importance of ensuring users are aware when content, be it an image or video, has been produced using generative AI.
This decision comes in response to concerns raised by lawmakers about the potential dissemination of election-related misinformation in the run-up to the 2024 elections. In September, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation to ban the use of AI-generated “deepfakes” in political ads, as reported by CNN.
Furthermore, Meta’s policy change aligns with tightening European AI usage regulations. Despite being the second-largest recipient of digital advertising revenue after Google, Meta recently announced plans to provide advertisers with more AI-powered tools. These tools will enable the instant creation of ads using AI-generated images, photos, and copy. The company intends to launch these tools globally by the following year.
In a similar vein, Google recently introduced its own generative AI advertising tool. To prevent political content from being generated, Google will block a list of “political keywords” from being used as prompts. Additionally, Google plans to update its policies to mandate disclosure in political ads containing “synthetic content that inauthentically depicts real or realistic-looking people or events,” according to the Reuters report.
Currently, X does not offer AI advertising tools, and platforms like TikTok and Snapchat have already implemented bans on political ads.
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