Tech and Advocacy

23 Jun Consent at the Centre: Meta’s Oversight Board Decision Reflects WITNESS’ Key Concerns on AI-generated Sexualized Impersonation

News and Events, Tech and Advocacy | WITNESS

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 overlooks the central issue of consent. The submission also highlighted the need for the Oversight Board to reiterate its 2024 recommendations, many of

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22 May WITNESS Calls for Stronger AI Transparency Standards in the EU Code of Practice

News and Events, Tech and Advocacy | WITNESS

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

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21 May WITNESS Raises Concerns to Meta Oversight Board on Generative AI in Elections

News and Events, Tech and Advocacy | WITNESS

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

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10 Mar Meta Oversight Board Decision on AI-Generated Conflict Video Validates WITNESS’ Long-Standing Warnings, Now Meta Must Act

News and Events, Tech and Advocacy | WITNESS

Today, the Meta Oversight Board, which reviews Meta’s content moderation decisions and makes policy recommendations to Meta for Facebook and Instagram, published its decision concerning an AI-generated video purporting to show missile damage in Haifa during the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, widely shared across social media.  ​​”This decision could not come at a more urgent moment. As conflict continues across the region, the same systemic failures the Board identifies are playing out in real time, and Meta’s response to these recommendations will determine whether this ruling has any real impact,” said Mahsa Alimardani, Associate Director for Technology Threats and Opportunities at WITNESS. The Board has the power to overturn Meta’s decisions on individual content but can only make policy recommendations to the company, which it can choose to accept or reject. It has exercised both powers in this case: reversing Meta’s original decision to leave the content up without a High Risk AI label, and issued several recommendations aimed at strengthening how the platform handles AI-generated content. These include creating a new Community Standard for AI-generated content and improving labeling pathways for AI content during crises. The decision also directly cites WITNESS’ analysis of how internet blackouts during the Iran-Israel

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02 Mar WITNESS Named Beneficiary of Proton Lifetime Charity Fundraiser

News and Events, Tech and Advocacy | WITNESS

WITNESS is thrilled and honored to announce we have been named as a beneficiary of the Proton Lifetime Charity Fundraiser organized by the Proton Foundation, the governing non-profit organization behind encrypted cloud storage Proton Drive. As a leader in privacy and security, we are delighted to have the generous support of the Proton community behind us – fueling our mission to protect truth and secure accountability. At WITNESS, we help people everywhere use video and technology to protect video evidence and ensure we can trust what we see in a world increasingly shaped by AI. For years, we’ve worked to prepare human rights defenders globally for the realities of AI and emerging technologies. While we aren’t new to this space, the landscape we work in and the challenges we face are ever-evolving and the stakes have never been higher. Our partnership with Proton will help ensure WITNESS can continue to meet current needs and prepare for what’s next. Thank you to the Proton Foundation for its generous support and partnership. Proton is built on the idea of a better internet where privacy is the default. You can learn more about the work of Proton and the Proton Foundation here.

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