New Delhi: Video giant YouTube approved election disinformation ads in India ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, an investigation by Access Now and Global Witness has found.
The published report essays that among ads approved by YouTube were those that carried baseless allegations of electoral fraud, lies about voting procedures, and attacks on the integrity of the electoral process.
Access Now and Global Witness submitted 48 advertisements in English, Hindi, and Telugu for approval. These ads had content which were explicitly going against YouTube’s advertising and elections misinformation policies. However, the platform’s review process led to it approving all of the ads for publication. Access Now and Global Witness, however, did not publish the ads.
Access Now and Global Witness developed 16 short pieces of election disinformation content from local events and existing disinformation. The information was visibly untrue and included claims that votes got by opposition parties will not be counted and votes cast by voters over 50 years will be counted twice.
The report says that each sentence of individual text was overlaid on coloured background and made into a short video, which was submitted to YouTube through three newly created YouTube accounts, in February and March 2024. The report says:
“We allowed up to a day for the review process to complete, given YouTube states “most ads are reviewed within 1 business day”. Upon checking, YouTube approved 100% (48/48) of the ads for publication.”
The report notes how investigations in 2022 into “ghost” and “surrogate” advertising on Facebook had revealed how the platform allows advertisers to mask their identities.
It also says that such a practice is “dangerous and irresponsible in an election period, where an ad can be published within hours of submission.”
“Once an ad is live, the damage is done – especially given YouTube’s extensive reach,” the press release says.
YouTube notably has 462 million users in India, more than any other country. An expert quoted in the press release calls YouTube a “repeat offender” in this regard.
“By failing to implement its own policies around disinformation, YouTube raises serious questions about its role in ensuring that the the upcoming Indian elections are free and fair,” said Access Now’s senior policy counsel Namrata Maheshwari said in a statement where she highlighted how tech companies’ promises about safeguarding electoral integrity fall short.
In comparison, YouTube has been quick to follow government orders to take down videos deemed unsuitable.