The Oversight Board of Meta is gearing up for a significant new case in anticipation of the upcoming presidential election. It has announced its intention to examine a user's appeal linked to a "modified" video featuring President Joe Biden. 

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WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 02: U.S. President Joe Biden holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House on October 02, 2023 in Washington, DC. Biden held the meeting to discuss economic legislation, artificial intelligence, and gun violence.

Meta Oversight Board Gears Up for New Case Regarding a Video Featuring Joe Biden 

Engadget reported that the Oversight Board has issued a statement saying that it will soon reveal a fresh case centered on a user appeal for the removal of a modified video featuring Joe Biden on Facebook.

This forthcoming case is poised to scrutinize matters pertaining to manipulated media across Meta's platforms, with a particular focus on the company's policies concerning misinformation, especially within the context of elections.

While the board has refrained from providing detailed information at this juncture, it said: "This case will examine issues related to manipulated media on Meta's platforms and the company's policies on misinformation, especially around elections." The formal announcement about the case is expected soon.

While neither Meta nor the Oversight Board has remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the video under scrutiny as they maintained a veil of secrecy, this case can significantly influence the social network's stance on AI-generated or manipulated media. Meta funds the board but runs independently.

Before the emergence of generative AI tools that have simplified the creation of fabricated videos featuring public figures, Reuters reported that Meta has faced criticism regarding its handling of selectively altered videos involving politicians.

An illustrative instance from 2019 illustrates this scrutiny, as the company chose not to remove an edited clip falsely portraying then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as intoxicated.

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Other Instances

This incident played a pivotal role in shaping the company's existing policy, which prohibits AI-generated deepfakes while permitting the presence of certain other types of edited videos on its platforms.

In the past year, fact-checkers have consistently debunked deceptively edited videos of Joe Biden that frequently gain significant traction on Facebook and Instagram.

This is not the first instance where the Oversight Board has intervened in a case involving a world leader. Previously, the board played a role in Meta's decision to suspend former President Donald Trump, and more recently, it recommended the suspension of the former prime minister of Cambodia, The Verge reported.

The board reportedly resolved the Cambodia case about inciting violence after a 234-day wait. It's important to note that when the Oversight Board takes on a case, Meta is obligated to implement the board's decision solely for the specific Facebook or Instagram post in question.

The board also offers a set of policy recommendations, which Meta has the freedom to disregard but is required to provide written responses.

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