This shocking discovery comes from Eko, a corporate responsibility nonprofit, which conducted research into how the two social media giants handle hate speech in their advertising systems. With Germany's federal election taking place on Sunday, February 23rd, and immigration being a central issue in the political discourse, Eko decided to test the platforms' ad review processes.
The results were alarming. X approved all 10 of the hate speech ads submitted by Eko's researchers. These ads contained violent and discriminatory language, including anti-Muslim slurs, calls for violence against immigrants, and AI-generated images of mosques and synagogues being burned.
Meta, while rejecting half of the ads, still approved five containing violent hate speech. These ads likened Muslim refugees to "viruses" and "vermin," branded them as "rapists," and called for their sterilization, burning, or gassing. One approved ad even called for synagogues to be torched.
Even more concerning is that none of the AI-generated imagery used in these ads was flagged as such, despite Meta having a policy requiring disclosure of AI-generated content in ads about social issues, elections, or politics.
These findings raise serious questions about the efficacy of Meta and X's ad moderation systems and their commitment to combating hate speech. It also suggests that these platforms may be profiting from the distribution of violent and discriminatory content.
Eko's research has been submitted to the European Commission, which is currently investigating both Meta and X for potential breaches of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA includes provisions aimed at combating hate speech and disinformation online, and violations can result in hefty fines.
This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that social media platforms are struggling to control the spread of harmful content, particularly during elections. With the German federal election just days away, these findings serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for greater accountability and transparency from tech companies.
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