Ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in Poland, Meta is implementing measures to protect the integrity of elections on its platforms. Drawing on the experience of over 200 electoral events since 2016 and the regulations outlined in the Digital Services Act, Meta aims to safeguard the electoral process.
Since 2016, Meta has invested over $20 billion in user safety, quadrupling its global security team to about 40,000 individuals, which includes 15,000 content reviewers working in over 80 languages, including Polish.
In the past nine years, Meta has introduced tools for transparency in social issues, election, and political advertising. The company has also developed comprehensive policies to prevent election interference and fraud. Meta has set up specialized teams to tackle disinformation and has taken steps to mitigate risks associated with generative artificial intelligence, such as deep fakes and AI-driven disinformation campaigns. However, experiences from 2024 elections demonstrated these threats did not pose significant issues on Meta platforms.
Meta plans to open an Elections Operations Center in Poland, involving experts from various departments, to identify potential threats and implement countermeasures. Close collaboration with Polish authorities is emphasized, as Meta recognizes that no single entity can ensure election integrity alone. Meta has established communication channels with key institutions to share information about potential threats related to domestic and foreign election interference.
Meta has organized training for governmental bodies, political parties, electoral institutions, and non-governmental organizations in Poland. These sessions cover Meta's rules, best practices, and security measures like two-factor authentication. Meta representatives have also participated in multiple discussions with the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs and law enforcement, organizing workshops as part of Digital Awareness Day for NGOs.
Before the elections and on election day, Meta will provide users in Poland with easy access to election information through notifications linking to the official presidential election website. Enhanced protection measures for election candidates will also be implemented to help them respond to frequent attacks and aggressive behavior, including account protection and identifying harassment cases on Meta platforms.
Meta's efforts in countering public opinion manipulation involve specialized global teams that prevent coordinated inauthentic behavior. Since 2017, Meta has dismantled over 200 such networks, detailed in threat reports.
Meta leads the industry in transparency for social issues, elections, and political ads. Advertisers wishing to display such ads on Meta platforms must undergo verification processes, confirming their identity and residency in Poland. Verified ads include a "Paid for by" label, indicating the responsible entity, with all ads archived in the Ad Library for seven years. The library provides details on ad content, costs, and targeting.
Further information on Meta's approach to elections can be found on their Elections Policies and Safeguards page.