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Misleading AI-Generated Videos Continue to Spread Misinformation Despite Fact-Checking Efforts
False claims about government policies, taxes, and even royal family disputes continue to circulate widely on social media platforms, according to an investigation by Full Fact, the UK’s largest fact-checking charity.
In the three months since Full Fact first exposed this problem, the organization has fact-checked at least 45 new misleading videos that have collectively garnered millions of views across platforms like Facebook and TikTok. These videos feature fabricated announcements about fictional government initiatives ranging from night-time curfews to non-existent “NHS access cards” and even a bogus “£500 Christmas decoration tax.”
While some viewers might immediately recognize these claims as false, Full Fact’s analysis reveals that these videos are reaching significant audiences. A sample of just four Facebook pages and four TikTok accounts sharing such content accumulated more than 8.4 million views, many occurring after the initial investigation in September. The charity identified at least 163,000 shares of the 45 new claims they fact-checked, though they note this represents only a fraction of the actual circulation.
Following Full Fact’s outreach, TikTok removed the four identified accounts for violating its Community Guidelines on harmfully misleading AI-generated content.
Most videos in this trend follow a recognizable pattern. They typically begin with footage of Prime Minister Keir Starmer appearing to announce a new government policy supposedly taking effect in the coming month. The policies often involve restricting personal freedoms, such as limiting how long residents can park in front of their own homes, or implementing measures that would harm people financially, like falsely claiming the government will seize savings above £5,000 to pay the national debt.
Some videos promote fabricated benefits, including false claims that the Christmas Bonus payment for benefit recipients is increasing from £10 to £200.
The deception becomes obvious upon closer inspection. The voice purporting to be Sir Keir’s rarely matches his lip movements in the footage, as the videos typically repurpose old press conference clips with artificial audio overlaid. Full Fact strongly suspects these voiceovers are created using AI technology, citing unnatural speech patterns, odd phrasing, and inconsistencies with the Prime Minister’s actual speaking style.
Some recent videos include an “generated by AI” text disclaimer added by the creators themselves rather than the platforms. However, comment sections and sharing patterns suggest many viewers still believe the content to be authentic.
The trend has expanded beyond fake government announcements to include impersonations of news presenters discussing these fictitious policies and even fabricated footage of King Charles discussing political matters, often posted by the same accounts sharing the Starmer videos.
While the motivation behind these videos remains unclear, Full Fact suggests creators may be capitalizing on social media platforms’ monetization programs, which reward engagement. TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, for instance, allows users with at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly video views to earn money from their content, subject to certain eligibility criteria.
Similarly, Facebook pages can generate revenue from advertisements if they meet the platform’s Partner Monetisation and Content Monetisation policies. Meta states that content flagged as misinformation may render creators ineligible for monetization, particularly if fact-checkers like Full Fact have rated it as false.
Neither TikTok nor Meta clarified whether the analyzed accounts had been monetizing their content when questioned by Full Fact. The charity attempted to contact the Facebook accounts without success, while the TikTok accounts were removed before they could be reached.
TikTok stated that when alerted to synthetic content violating its policies, it creates detection systems to automatically identify and address similar material, alongside tactics like keyword monitoring. Meta referred to its existing policies on labeling AI-generated content.
As part of its disclosure, Full Fact noted it receives funding from Meta for its work on the company’s Third-Party Fact Checking Programme but maintains editorial independence.
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8 Comments
While some viewers may be able to spot these fake videos, the sheer volume of views and shares is alarming. Social media platforms need to do more to identify and remove this kind of coordinated disinformation campaign. Fact-checking alone isn’t enough to stem the tide.
This is a worrying trend. Fabricated announcements about fictional government initiatives are clearly an attempt to sow confusion and undermine public trust. Fact-checkers play a vital role in debunking these false claims and restoring factual information.
It’s alarming to see the scale of these misleading videos and the number of views and shares they’re generating. Fact-checking is important, but social media platforms need to take more responsibility for identifying and removing coordinated disinformation campaigns.
It’s concerning to see how far-reaching these AI-generated hoaxes can be, even after being debunked. We need better systems to detect and remove this kind of coordinated disinformation before it can gain traction. Fact-checking is crucial, but more proactive measures are needed.
Interesting to see these misleading AI-generated videos continuing to spread despite fact-checking efforts. It’s concerning how quickly misinformation can spread on social media platforms. We need more robust measures to combat the proliferation of false claims.
Misleading videos about non-existent taxes and government policies are a serious problem. I’m glad to see organizations like Full Fact stepping up to fact-check these claims and expose the truth. But the platforms enabling the spread of misinformation bear responsibility too.
Disturbing to see how quickly misinformation can spread, even after being debunked. Fact-checking efforts are essential, but more needs to be done to address the root causes and prevent the proliferation of these kinds of AI-generated hoaxes in the first place.
These fabricated claims about government policies and taxes are clearly attempts to sow discord and undermine public trust. While fact-checkers are doing important work, the social media platforms facilitating the spread of this misinformation must be held accountable.