Amid increasing concerns over AI-generated and edited images, Meta has admitted that it incorrectly censored an actual, unedited image of Donald Trump captured during the July 13th assassination attempt against the former president.
Photographer Evan Vucci’s widely-shared (and stolen) image of Trump raising his fist after the attempt on his life quickly went viral on social media. As FOX Business reports, the image was shared on Facebook with a fact check that questioned the image’s authenticity, at least in some instances.
An edited version of Vucci’s photo had been spread online, deceptively showing the agents surrounding Trump with smiles on their faces. A USA Today fact-check on July 15 explained that this image was fake.
Meta acted to label doctored versions of this iconic photo, but the fact check was also applied to unedited versions of the image. Meta’s Public Affairs Director, Dani Lever, admitted on Monday, July 29, that the fact check was erroneously applied.
“This was an error. This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agent smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo,” Lever writes on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This has been fixed and we apologize for the mistake.”
This was an error. This fact check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the secret service agents smiling, and in some cases our systems incorrectly applied that fact check to the real photo. This has been fixed and we apologize for the mistake. https://t.co/y613GuuJpV
— Dani Lever (@Dani_Lever) July 29, 2024
The fact check information that appeared for some users sharing Vucci’s real photo on Facebook explained that the image had been altered “in a way that could mislead people,” and that users who “repeatedly share false information might have their posts moved lower in News Feed so other people are less likely to see them.”
The erroneous misinformation label comes at a time when many across all political affiliations have expressed concern over social media’s influence over elections. Some claim that censorship is a political act, while others believe that not acting on demonstrably false claims is also political.
Numerous states have acted to legislate moderation on social media and change the way tech companies are allowed to operate and how the federal government can — or cannot — force companies to moderate genuine misinformation.
Image credits: Photo by Evan Vucci (Associated Press) and Facebook screenshot from X (formerly known as Twitter)