Annual tech sector transparency reports give insight into the online misinformation fight
31 May 2024 – Today eight major technology companies have released new insights and data into their management of mis- and disinformation in Australia, by filing annual transparency reports under DIGI’s Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation (ACPDM). Signatory technology companies have voluntarily committed to, and continue to evolve, safeguards that protect against online disinformation and misinformation. In line with the annual reporting period under the code, the reports cover data from the 2023 calendar year.
In addition to the release of the signatory transparency reports, DIGI has also released its annual report about code governance. On the release of the 2023 transparency reports, DIGI Director of Regulatory Affairs, Policy & Research, Dr. Jennifer Duxbury, said:
“This year’s reports demonstrate how signatories continue to adapt, responding to changes in the digital information environment, including in response to developments in artificial intelligence. The reports recognise that AI technologies can be used to create and amplify malicious content, and detail the opportunities for AI to assist and streamline signatories’ efforts to detect and disrupt disinformation and other harmful material.
“Since the code’s inception in 2021, the annual transparency reports have helped create a benchmark and provide the Australian public, the ACMA, and the Australian Government with the tools to assess signatory commitments under the code. Through annual reporting, the code also aims to improve understanding of how the online misinformation and disinformation threat landscape in Australia evolves over time and what industry approaches are employed to tackle these risks.”
The signatories of the ACPDM now include an even wider range of digital services than ever before, with representation from interactive livestreaming, software, news and information, marketplaces, and communication platforms. In February 2024, Twitch, an interactive livestreaming service, became the newest signatory to the code. Twitch has submitted a voluntary baseline transparency report during this reporting period, to help contextualise its commitments under the code. As the code is principles-based, it provides a blueprint for best practice across a wide range of digital services.
All reports have been reviewed by an independent expert Hal Crawford, who also developed the best practice guidelines that guide signatories’ transparency reporting. Crawford assesses each transparency report against those guidelines, asks signatories for improvements, and attests claims prior to publication. The transparency reports share the strategies employed by signatories, spanning product, policy, partnership and education interventions. For example, the reports include trends and insights related to misinformation takedowns in Australia:
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TikTok maintained a proactive removal rate of over 90% for Harmful Misinformation throughout 2023.
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On YouTube more than 65% of videos that violated Community Guidelines and were uploaded from IP addresses in Australia were removed when they had 10 or fewer views.
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Meta removed an influence operation for violating its policy against coordinated inauthentic behaviour – the network included 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Pages, 15 Groups and 15 Instagram accounts.
The reports detail the nature and effectiveness of interventions to counter misinformation. For example:
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LinkedIn uses “hashing” on known instances of deepfake content, which can be used to find copies of the same content on the platform.
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RedBubble uses keyword detection in text-based user-generated fields, like titles, tags, and descriptions to catch keywords linked to disinformation and misinformation.
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Google launched its Ads Transparency Center, a searchable hub of all ads from verified advertisers, which helps people quickly and easily learn more about the ads they see on Search, YouTube, and Display.
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TikTok introduced new labels for users to disclose AI-generated content to make clear to viewers when content is significantly altered or modified by AI technology.
The reports illustrate efforts to elevate reputable content and provide users with information to counter misinformation. For example:
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Apple News featured and promoted 15 free Spotlight collections on the Voice referendum, with over 200 individual pieces of content from a wide variety of quality publications.
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Twitch collaborated with MediaWise on a media literacy campaign, empowering Twitch streamers and viewers with training on how to better identify, and avoid spreading, misinformation and disinformation online.
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Adobe advanced a new Content Credentials icon, containing a ‘digital nutrition label’ with verified information about the content’s origin, creation date, tools used, and any edits made
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Meta ran a new training series called ‘Connect, Alert, Inform’, for emergency response organisations, including a RMIT CrossCheck module on combating, addressing and avoiding the amplification of misinformation surrounding a disaster or emergency situation.
DIGI continues to engage with the Government and the ACMA on the administration of the code, suitable measurement frameworks, and industry measures to combat harmful disinformation and misinformation online.
Background
The Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation (ACPDM) was developed in response to Australian Government policy announced in December 2019, in response to the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry, where the digital industry was asked to develop a voluntary code of practice on disinformation.
DIGI developed the ACPDM with assistance from the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Media Transition, and First Draft, a global organisation that specialises in helping societies overcome false and misleading information.
The ACPDM was launched in February 2021 and its signatories are Apple, Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Redbubble, TikTok and Twitter. The ACDM was further strengthened in December 2022 in response to stakeholder feedback received through a planned review of the code that included a six week public consultation.
These updates are the latest set in a series of improvements driven by DIGI and code signatories since the code was introduced in February 2021. In October 2021, DIGI introduced independent oversight and a complaints facility to increase accountability. In 2022, DIGI strengthened The Australian Code of Practice on Misinformation and Disinformation, making changes in response to stakeholder feedback received through a planned review of the code. Changes included an improved definition of ‘harm’ in relation to mis and disinformation and additional commitments reflecting updates to the strengthened EU Code of Practice. DIGI also introduced more proportionate annual transparency reporting requirements for smaller platforms to encourage them to adopt the code, which can be flexibly applied to different types of digital service providers.
Signatories also remain committed to improving transparency reporting under the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, consulting with the ACMA on the transparency reporting process and the development of suitable metrics to assess signatories’ performance against the code outcomes. In 2024, the best practice guidelines were updated to more explicitly cover measures taken to combat disinformation and misinformation generated by artificial intelligence, as well as to address significant policy changes related to disinformation and misinformation that have taken place since the last reporting period.
Mandatory code commitments include publishing & implementing policies on misinformation and disinformation, providing users with a way to report content against those policies and implementing a range of scalable measures that reduce its spread & visibility (Mandatory commitment #1). Every signatory has agreed to annual transparency reports about those efforts to improve understanding of both the management and scale of mis- and disinformation in Australia (Mandatory commitment #7).
Additionally, there are a series of opt-in commitments that platforms adopt if relevant to their business model: (Commitment #2) Addressing disinformation in paid content; (#3) addressing fake bots and accounts; (#4) transparency about source of content in news and factual information (e.g. promotion of media literacy, partnerships with fact-checkers) and (#5) political advertising; and (#6) partnering with universities/researchers to improve understanding of mis and disinformation.
Signatories remain committed to continuously improving transparency reporting under the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, consulting with the ACMA on the transparency reporting process and the development of suitable metrics to assess signatories’ performance against the code outcomes. For example, this year, the best practice guidelines have been updated to more explicitly cover measures taken to combat disinformation and misinformation generated by artificial intelligence, as well as to address significant policy changes related to disinformation and misinformation that have taken place since the last reporting period.
DIGI is a non-profit industry association that advocates for the interests of the digital industry in Australia. DIGI’s vision is a thriving Australian digitally-enabled economy that fosters innovation, a growing selection of digital products and services, and where online safety and privacy are protected. DIGI is a key industry, Government and community collaborator in efforts to address online harms, data and consumer protection online and to grow the digital economy. We work in a range of ways including advocacy for effective and implementable approaches to technology policy, code development, and partnerships.
All transparency reports are available at digi.org.au/disinformation-