Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has praised the Council of Europe’s (CoE) new Framework Convention on AI for its progress but criticised its reliance on private sector self-regulation. The Convention, which includes 46 European countries, aims to address the impact of AI on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. While it acknowledges the threat of AI-fueled disinformation, RSF argues that it fails to provide the necessary mechanisms to achieve its goals.
The CoE Convention mandates strict regulatory measures for AI use in the public sector but allows member states to choose self-regulation for the private sector. RSF believes this distinction is a critical flaw, as the private sector, particularly social media companies and other digital service providers, have historically prioritised business interests over the public good. According to RSF, this approach will not effectively combat the disinformation challenges posed by AI.
RSF urges countries that adopt the Convention to implement robust national legislation to strictly regulate AI development and use. That would ensure that AI technologies are deployed ethically and responsibly, protecting the integrity of information and democratic processes. Vincent Berthier, Head of RSF’s Tech Desk, emphasised the need for legal requirements over self-regulation to ensure AI serves the public interest and upholds the right to reliable information.
RSF’s recommendations provide a framework for AI regulation that addresses the shortcomings of both the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention and the European Union’s AI Act, advocating for stringent measures to safeguard the integrity of information and democracy.
Top officials at the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) are divided over a proposal requiring political advertisements on broadcast radio and television to disclose if their content is generated by AI. FEC Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub backs the proposal, initiated by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, which aims to enhance transparency in political ads, whereas FEC Chair Sean Cooksey opposes it.
The proposal, which does not ban AI-generated content, comes amid increasing concerns in Washington that such content could mislead voters in the upcoming 2024 elections. Rosenworcel emphasised the risk of ‘deepfakes’ and other altered media misleading the public and noted that the FCC has long-standing authority to mandate disclosures. Weintraub also highlighted the importance of transparency for public benefit and called for collaborative regulatory efforts between the FEC and FCC.
However, Cooksey warned that mandatory disclosures might conflict with existing laws and regulations, creating confusion in political campaigns. Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr criticised the proposal, pointing out inconsistencies in regulation, as the FCC cannot oversee internet, social media, or streaming service ads. The debate gained traction following an incident in January where a fake AI-generated robocall impersonating US President Joe Biden aimed to influence New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, leading to charges against a Democratic consultant.
Last Christmas Eve, NewsBreak, a popular news app, published a false report about a shooting in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The Bridgeton police quickly debunked the story, which had been generated by AI, stating that no such event had occurred. NewsBreak, which operates out of Mountain View, California, and has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, removed the erroneous article four days later, attributing the mistake to its content source.
NewsBreak, known for filling the void left by shuttered local news outlets, uses AI to rewrite news from various sources. However, this method has led to multiple errors, including incorrect information about local charities and fictitious bylines. In response to growing criticism, NewsBreak added a disclaimer about potential inaccuracies to its homepage. With over 50 million monthly users, the app primarily targets a demographic of suburban or rural women over 45 without college degrees.
The company has faced legal challenges due to its AI-generated content. Patch Media settled a $1.75 million lawsuit with NewsBreak over copyright infringement, and Emmerich Newspapers reached a settlement in a similar case. Concerns about the company’s ties to China have also been raised, as half of its employees are based there, prompting worries about data privacy and security.
Despite these issues, NewsBreak maintains that it complies with US data laws and operates on US-based servers. The company’s CEO, Jeff Zheng, emphasises its identity as a US-based business, crucial for its long-term credibility and success.
Australia’s cyber safety regulator has decided to drop its legal challenge against Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) concerning the removal of videos depicting the stabbing of an Assyrian church bishop in Sydney. The decision follows a setback in May when a federal court judge rejected a request to extend a temporary order for X to block the videos, which Australian authorities deemed a terrorist attack.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant highlighted the issue of graphic material being accessible online, especially to children, and criticised X’s initial refusal to remove the violent content globally. Grant emphasised the original intent to prevent the footage from going viral, which could incite further violence and harm the community, defending the regulator’s actions despite the legal outcome.
Why does it matter?
The incident, which involved a 16-year-old boy charged with a terrorism offence, also led to a public clash between Musk and Australian officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Musk’s criticisms of the regulatory order as censorship sparked controversy, while other major platforms like Meta, TikTok, Reddit, and Telegram complied with removal requests. X had opted to geo-block the content in Australia, a solution deemed ineffective by the regulator due to users employing virtual private networks.
A former Meta engineer has accused the company of bias in its handling of Gaza-related content, alleging he was fired for addressing bugs that suppressed Palestinian Instagram posts. Ferras Hamad, a Palestinian-American who worked on Meta’s machine learning team, filed a lawsuit in California state court for discrimination and wrongful termination. Hamad claims Meta exhibited a pattern of bias against Palestinians, including deleting internal communications about the deaths of Palestinian relatives and investigating the use of the Palestinian flag emoji while not probing similar uses of the Israeli or Ukrainian flag emojis.
Hamad’s firing, he asserts, was linked to his efforts to fix issues that restricted Palestinian Instagram posts from appearing in searches and feeds, including a misclassified video by a Palestinian photojournalist.
Despite his manager confirming the task was part of his duties, Hamad was later investigated and fired, allegedly for violating a policy on working with accounts of people he knew personally, which he denies.
Australia is considering new regulations to make Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, pay news companies for content. The development follows Meta’s decision to stop compensating Australian news publishers despite a 2021 law that mandates such payments. News Corp Australia’s executive chairman, Michael Miller, urged the government to enforce this law, criticising Meta for abandoning previous agreements and emphasising the need for fair negotiations.
Meta argues that interest in news on its platforms is declining and views its services as free distribution channels for media companies. However, publishers claim that social media platforms profit unfairly from advertising revenue linked to news content. As a consequence, if the government enforces the 2021 law, Meta might restrict news sharing on Facebook in Australia, as it has done in Canada, leading to concerns about increased misinformation.
Miller also highlighted the negative impacts of social media on mental health and called for a regulatory framework to protect Australians. His proposal includes holding tech firms accountable for all content, enforcing competition laws for digital advertising, improving consumer complaint processes, and supporting mental health programs. He suggested barring companies that fail to comply with these rules from operating in Australia. Meta has defended its actions, stating that it respects Australian laws and community standards and has implemented measures to promote online safety and prevent harm.
China has unveiled an AI chatbot based on principles derived from President Xi Jinping’s political ideology. The chatbot, named ‘Xue Xi’, aims to propagate ‘Xi Jinping Thought’ through conversational interactions with users. Xi Jinping Thought, also known as ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era‘, is made up of 14 principles, including ensuring the absolute power of the Chinese Communist Party, strengthening national security and socialist values, as well as improving people’s livelihoods and well-being.
Developed by a team at Tsinghua University, ‘Xue Xi’ utilises natural language processing to engage users in discussions about Xi Jinping’s ideas on governance, socialism with Chinese characteristics, and national rejuvenation. The chatbot was trained on seven databases, six of which were mostly related to information technologies provided by China’s internet watchdog and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
The chatbot’s creation is the latest effort of a broader strategy to spread the Chinese leader’s ideology and an attempt to leverage technology, strengthen ideological education and promote ideological loyalty among citizens. Students have had to take classes on Xi Jinping’s Thoughts in schools, and an app called Study Xi Strong Nation was also rolled out in 2019 to allow users to learn and take quizzes about his ideologies.
Why Does It Matter?
The launch of Xue Xi raises important questions about the intersection of AI technology and political ideology. It represents China’s innovative approach to using AI for ideological dissemination, aiming to ensure widespread adherence to Xi Jinping Thought. By deploying AI in this manner, China advances its technological capabilities and seeks to shape public discourse and reinforce state-approved narratives. Critics argue that such initiatives could exacerbate issues related to censorship and surveillance, potentially limiting freedom of expression and promoting conformity to government viewpoints. Moreover, the development of ‘Xue Xi’ underscores China’s broader ambition to lead in AI development, positioning itself as a pioneer in using technology for ideological governance.
A recent study by Global Witness has revealed alarming deficiencies in TikTok’s ability to manage disinformation related to the upcoming EU elections. The investigation tested the platform’s content moderation by submitting 16 disinformation ads. TikTok approved all of these ads, which included false information about polling station closures, incorrect voting methods, and incitements to violence.
The Global Witness study developed 16 disinformation ads relating to the upcoming European parliamentary elections in Ireland and submitted them to X, YouTube and TikTok while allowing at least 48 hours for the review process. Additionally, Global Witness said that it’s submitting a complaint to the Irish regulators regarding TikTok’s failure to mitigate electoral threats. Examples of fake ads include:
Incorrect voting method ‘Don’t vote in person this EU election! New reports find that ballots are being altered by election workers. Vote instead by texting 05505’
Incorrect voting requirements ‘New rules change ID requirement for 2024 elections. If you don’t have a valid driving licence, you can’t vote this election day’
Polling station closure ‘Following an unprecedented spike in contagious diseases, the Electoral Commission is to close all polling stations to protect staff and public health. Please vote online instead.’
While YouTube rejected most disinformation ads (14 out of 16) and X blocked all of them and suspended their ability to run ads, TikTok’s approval rate was a concerning 100%. This highlights a significant vulnerability in TikTok’s moderation process, especially given its large and youthful user base.
Why does it matter?
TikTok’s failure to effectively moderate election-related content violates both its own policies which ‘do not allow misinformation or content about civic and electoral process that may result in voter interference, disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, or to off-platform violence‘ and the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires very large online platforms (VLOPs) to mitigate electoral risks by ensuring that they ‘are able to react rapidly to manipulation of their service aimed at undermining the electoral process and attempts to use disinformation and information manipulation to suppress voters.’
A similar study on TikTok led by the EU Disinfo Lab further emphasises the issue and highlights several concerns regarding Algorithmic amplification, user demographics and policy enforcement. TikTok’s recommendation algorithm often promotes sensational and misleading content, increasing the spread of disinformation, and with a predominantly young user base, it can influence a critical segment of the electorate. Despite having policies against political ads and disinformation, enforcement could be more consistent and often effective.
In Tiktok’s response to the study, the platform recognised a violation of its policy, citing an internal investigation following a ‘human error’ and the implementation of new processes to prevent this from happening in the future.
New York lawmakers are preparing to ban social media companies from using algorithms to control content seen by youth without parental consent. The legal initiative, expected to be voted on this week, aims to protect minors from automated feeds and notifications during overnight hours unless parents approve. The move comes as social media platforms face increasing scrutiny for their addictive nature and impact on young people’s mental health.
Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a lawsuit against major social media companies, including Facebook and Instagram, for allegedly contributing to a mental health crisis among youth. Similar actions have been taken by other states, with Florida recently passing a law requiring parental consent for minors aged 14 and 15 to use social media and banning those under 14 from accessing these platforms.
Why does it matter?
The trend started with Utah, which became the first state to regulate children’s social media access last year. States like Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, and Texas have since followed suit. The heightened regulation is affecting social media companies, with shares of Meta and Snap seeing a slight decline in extended trading.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has officially updated its rules to allow the posting of adult and graphic content. Users can now share consensually produced NSFW (not safe for work) content, including AI-generated images and videos, provided they are clearly labelled. This change is a formal acknowledgement of practices that have existed unofficially for years, especially under the platform’s current ownership by Elon Musk, who has been exploring ways to host and potentially monetise adult content.
The new guidelines emphasise that while adult content is permitted, it must be consensually produced and appropriately labelled to prevent unintended exposure, particularly to minors. X continues to prohibit excessively gory content and any depiction of sexual violence, aligning with its existing violent content policies. The platform also requires users to mark posts containing sensitive media, ensuring that such content is only visible to those over 18 who have provided birthdates.
This move opens the door for X to potentially develop services around adult content, possibly positioning itself as a competitor to platforms like OnlyFans. The prevalence of adult content on X has been significant, with about 13% of posts in 2022 containing such material, a figure that has likely increased with the proliferation of porn bots. Regulatory bodies will closely monitor X’s efforts to manage and eliminate non-consensual porn and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), especially following past fines and warnings from countries like Australia and India.
