Oversight Board Orders Meta to Remove Deepfake Video Featuring UK Councillor
Meta’s Oversight Board ordered Meta to remove an AI-generated video of a Labour councillor in Scotland and one mocking a young Muslim campaigner. It called Meta’s deepfake rules fundamentally inadequate and made nine recommendations across the two cases, with Meta required to respond within 60 days.
September 17, 2026 - 5:16 pm
Entrance sign at Meta’s headquarters complex in Menlo Park, California. Credit: Nokia621 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Oversight Board stated that Meta’s rules on AI deepfakes are “consistently and fundamentally inadequate to address the rapid rise of AI-generated content.”
The Board's Decisions:
- First Ruling: Covers a UK local politician, with the full decision published.
- Second Ruling: Covers a young Muslim woman.
In both cases, the board overturned Meta’s original decisions, making its rulings binding on Meta.
"From politicians to private citizens, AI-generated deepfakes are increasingly being used to harass and silence women from engaging in public discourse,” said Pamela San Martin, a co-chair of the board.
The Scottish Councillor Video:
A Facebook user posted this video in November 2025, according to the board’s summary. It depicted a Labour Party councillor in Scotland making inflammatory comments about refugees that she did not make. The audio was misaligned with her facial expressions, suggesting fabrication. The video gained over 5,000 views alongside photos of named women at an anti-far-right protest.
Despite reports from two individuals, including the councillor herself, Meta’s systems failed to flag the video for human review.
Meta's Findings:
Meta concluded that the video broke none of its rules and didn't require an AI label, even after the board raised concerns. They cited a lack of flags from Trusted Partner organizations and the fact that it contained no banned claims about voting or the census. Meta also claimed the video was satirical and had low engagement, arguing they hadn’t penalized the user for failing to disclose AI use.
The Board's Findings:
A majority of the board ruled that the video violated Meta’s hateful conduct rules by promoting “serious criminality and predatory sexual behavior” against refugees as a group. The minority opinion held that the video targeted the councillor’s alleged views, not all refugees.
The majority also determined the video should have carried a "High Risk AI" label. They made six recommendations to improve Meta's deepfake policies:
- Lower the threshold for "high risk" labels beyond crises and elections.
- Implement a click-through screen instead of a label for AI-generated or “High Risk AI” content.
- Demote or demonetize "High Risk" content and penalize accounts that repeatedly share it.
- Publish annual reports on the effectiveness of their deepfake policies.