WITNESS welcomes the Code of Practice’s multi-layered approach to identifying AI-generated content, but says it doesn’t go far enough in protecting audio-visual truths.
The Meta Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews the company’s content moderation decisions, today overturned Meta’s decision to keep online an AI-generated sexualized video that had been reported by users, citing concerns about the enforcement of its policies on non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). The ruling aligns with recommendations submitted by WITNESS in a public comment to the Board earlier this year. The case involved an Instagram video depicting a woman that was reported as pornographic but only age-restricted by Meta, which determined that it did not violate the platform’s “Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity” policy. In its decision, the Oversight Board reversed Meta’s determination and raised broader concerns about the company’s handling of non-consensual intimate imagery and its reliance on user reports to identify and remove harmful content, reflecting points raised by WITNESS in its submission. WITNESS Recommendations to the Board WITNESS’ submission argued that Meta’s current approach is structurally insufficient because it fails to recognize AI-generated NCII as a form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), relies too heavily on automated systems that under-prioritize harm, and and overlooks the central issue of consent. The submission also highlighted the need for the Oversight Board to reiterate its 2024 recommendations, many
Over the last months, stakeholders all over Europe have been united around the goal of coming up with clearer rules for AI transparency and AI-generated or manipulated content. These efforts are part of the first Code of Practice (COP) under the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), the European Union’s landmark legislation regulating artificial intelligence. The COP aims to set rules for disclosures to users when they interact with AI systems, including realistic synthetic media. It is also an effort to turn the broader principles of the EU AI Act into more concrete guidance for companies and platforms. As part of this process, successive draft versions are released for review and feedback from civil society organizations, industry representatives, researchers, and other stakeholders. WITNESS has been a member of the working group created to discuss these incoming rules. While reviewing the second draft of the COP, the organization submitted recommendations to Working Groups One and Two, which are responsible for developing rules around AI-generated and manipulated content. These groups are discussing issues such as how generative AI providers should identify and detect AI systems, as well as how platforms and deployers should label deepfakes and certain AI-generated or manipulated text shared
On 7 May 2026, WITNESS submitted a public comment to Meta’s Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews Meta’s content moderation decisions, in response to a case involving an AI-generated video of a prominent Hungarian politician posted ahead of Hungary’s recent elections. Although the Oversight Board is no longer reviewing this case as the video has since been removed, WITNESS submission provides valuable insights on the use of generative AI in the electoral contexts. The case centered on an eight-second video appearing to depict Péter Magyar, now the Prime Minister of Hungary and then an opposition candidate, expressing frustration over the use of robocalls in political campaigns. Posted on Facebook in November 2025, when Magyar was still the country’s main opposition leader, the video appeared to be AI-generated and raised broader concerns about how synthetic media can shape electoral discourse and distort the information environment. The content circulated during the 2026 Hungarian elections highlighted the escalating challenge posed by synthetic media in high-stakes political contexts, where AI was used to amplify inflammatory narratives within an increasingly saturated information environment. By weaponizing geopolitical anxieties surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, political campaigns deployed AI-generated content to appeal to voters’ fears, including
WITNESS is pleased to welcome Irene Mwendwa, Raffi Krikorian, and Suzanne Stoller to its Board of Directors. Bringing experience across technology, human rights, public policy, organizational leadership, and advocacy, the new board members join WITNESS at a critical moment for the future of information integrity, digital rights, and civic participation worldwide. Irene Mwendwa is a lawyer, researcher, and advocate working to advance safer digital futures through human rights and technology policy. Her work spans collaborations across civil society, government, and the private sector, with a focus on strengthening legal and policy frameworks related to elections, technology, and digital rights. Rooted in principles of justice, integrity, and collective liberation, Mwendwa’s work has contributed to shaping more equitable approaches to technology governance and public policy. Raffi Krikorian has spent his career working at the intersection of technology and society, with a focus on ensuring powerful technologies serve the public interest. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer at Mozilla, where he leads efforts to advance open-source AI and strengthen human agency online. Throughout his career, Krikorian has held leadership roles across the tech and civic sectors, including as CTO of Emerson Collective and the Democratic National Committee, as well as leadership positions