Research from Mozilla and CheckFirst indicates that internet companies are ill-prepared for the surge of misinformation expected in the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. election and other significant political events worldwide. The study, conducted between December and January, highlights deficiencies in ad transparency tools on major tech platforms such as Google Search, YouTube, the App Store, Bing, and LinkedIn, as well as services from Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok, and others.
According to the researchers, none of the platforms performed well in the test, with some described as “a major disappointment.” The European Union’s Digital Services Act mandated the development of ad transparency tools, including ad libraries and APIs, which were required to be in place by January 1st. These tools allow users to access information about ads, including content, target audience, reach, and call to action.
Despite the EU regulations, none of the platforms received a “ready for action” designation in the study. The results varied from lacking essential data and functionality to having significant gaps in information. This comes as a concern ahead of numerous elections in over 40 countries affecting billions of people.
The rise of AI-generated content has exacerbated concerns about election-related misinformation, with the number of deepfakes increasing by 900% annually. Lawmakers are particularly worried about how AI technologies could be used to mislead voters during campaigns.
The research highlighted shortcomings in tools provided by various platforms, with Twitter (X) receiving particular criticism for offering only a CSV file instead of a user-friendly web interface. Other platforms like Bing, Snapchat, AliExpress, and Zalando also received low marks, while Apple’s App Store, LinkedIn, Meta, and TikTok were noted to have significant gaps in functionality.
Overall, the study emphasized the need for continued improvement in ad transparency tools to combat misinformation and ensure the integrity of elections.
Heading into the 2024 election in the U.S. and major political contests around the world, internet companies are facing an onslaught of misinformation that they are unprepared for. Research conducted by Mozilla and CheckFirst found that leading tech platforms are lagging in their ad transparency tools, as mandated by the European Union’s Digital Services Act. None of the platforms tested, including Google Search, YouTube, Apple’s App Store, Microsoft’s Bing and LinkedIn, Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok, X, and others, passed with a “ready for action” designation. Instead, results ranged from lacking vital data and functionality to having “big gaps” in data and functionality.
With elections affecting over 4 billion people in more than 40 countries approaching, it is crucial for platforms to collaborate and improve their transparency tools. The rise of AI-generated content and deepfakes has led to serious concerns about election-related misinformation, with the number of deepfakes increasing 900% year over year. Lawmakers are expressing serious concerns about how AI could be used to mislead voters in campaigns.
The research found that X’s ad transparency tools were a “major disappointment,” as they only offered a CSV file instead of a web interface, making it difficult to search for ads. Bing, Snapchat, Alibaba’s AliExpress, and Zalando also received low marks, while Alphabet, Pinterest, and Booking.com received slightly higher ratings. Apple’s App Store, LinkedIn, Meta, and TikTok received the highest marks, but were still graded as having “big gaps” in data and functionality.
The researchers highlighted issues with Alphabet’s transparency tools for Google Search and YouTube, noting that users still can’t search by keyword after six years. They also found accuracy issues and missing data on Pinterest and TikTok, and users can’t search words with special characters on Bing’s tools. In Apple’s App Store tools, users and researchers can’t see ad campaigns broken down by targeted country, which is crucial for tracking election-related disinformation.
Overall, the researchers emphasized the importance of making these tools useful for researchers and the public in practice, and expressed hope for further improvements in the future. As the platforms gear up for major elections, it is essential that they address these gaps in ad transparency tools to combat misinformation and ensure the integrity of the democratic process.
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