Freedom House shifts by users. There also remains a fundamental structural imbalance between fact-checkers and the purveyors of disinformation campaigns: it takes far more time and effort to prove that a claim is false than it does to create and spread it. These initiatives may face particular difficulties in highly polarized environments, as voters who already lack trust in independent media groups will be unlikely to believe their fact-checking work. Regulations on generative AI in political campaigns Spurred by concerns that generative AI would blur the line between fact and fiction during consequential voting, regulators in at least 11 of the 41 FOTN countries that held or prepared for nationwide elections during the coverage period issued new rules or official guidance to limit how the technology could be used in electoral contexts. Prohibiting problematic uses of generative AI, such as impersonation, can compel political campaigns and candidates to adopt more responsible behavior. Rules that require labeling provide voters with the transparency they need to distinguish between genuine and fabricated content. Ahead of South Korea’s elections, legislators banned the use of deepfakes in campaign materials starting 90 days before the balloting, with offenders subject to penalties of up to seven years in prison or fines of 50 million won ($39,000). The law also required the labeling of AI-generated materials that were published before the 90-day period, and empowered election regulators to order takedowns of offending content. Taiwanese policymakers took a more proportionate approach, passing a June 2023 law that allows candidates to report misleading deepfakes of themselves to social media companies for removal, if technical experts at law enforcement agencies confirm that the content was generated by AI. In the United States, while no federal rules were adopted, at least 19 state legislatures passed laws to address generative AI in electoral contexts as of July 2024, according to the Brennan Building trust online The most effective means for reversing the global decline in internet freedom will also help restore confidence in the electoral information space. GOVERNMENTS TECH COMPANIES Maintain access to the internet, social media platforms, and websites Enhance the transparency of companies’ policies and decisions, rather than criminalizing speech Support the development of anticensorship tools and safeguard encryption Resist, document, and publicize disproportionate demands for censorship and user data Create accessible mechanisms for researchers to study platform data Invest in local civil society, independent journalism, and digital literacy programs Reinvest in teams focused on elections, human rights, and trust and safety Increase the transparency of content moderation and promote reliable information Mobilize allies at multilateral forums to protect free expression and access to information Collaborate with local civil society, especially when engaging with their governments This infographic is from the Freedom on the Net 2024 report, as seen on www.freedomhouse.org. @freedomhouse freedomhouse.org 19