Social media company Meta said it will roll out measures to stamp out misinformation in the lead up to the voice referendum vote

Social media company Meta is rolling out a raft of new measures ahead of the upcoming voice referendum to help stamp out misinformation.

Meta Australia and New Zealand policy director Mia Garlick. Picture: Supplied

Tech giant Meta has vowed to tackle misinformation about the voice referendum by providing “social media safety training” to MPs and advocacy groups, blocking fake accounts and significantly boosting its funding for fact-checkers.

The US-based company – owner of popular platforms including Facebook and Instagram – said it had been preparing for the referendum for a long time and it would implement a “comprehensive strategy to combat misinformation, voter interference and other forms of abuse on our platforms”.

Meta Australia’s director of public policy for Australia and NZ, Mia Garlick, said the referendum was a “significant moment for Australia” and the company was “committed to playing our part to safeguard the integrity of the referendum”.

“Many Australians will use digital platforms to engage in advocacy, express their views or participate in democratic debate,” she said.

“At Meta, we’re committed to playing our part to safeguard the integrity of the referendum.”

Meta said measures would include increasing artificial intelligence, which “can more effectively detect and block fake accounts” that were often behind the threats to elections and referendums.

Ms Garlick said Meta would also provide safety training to MPs, advocacy groups and not-for-profit organisations at the end of this month.

Meta will provide safety training to MPs, advocacy groups – such as the Referendum Working Group – and not-for-profit organisations. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman.

This includes educating attendees on Meta’s policies and tools including moderation functionalities to “keep their accounts and pages safe in the lead-up to the referendum”.

Meta will also provide a one-off funding boost for Australian fact-checkers, however the company would not disclose how much money would be spent.

The company also said it would work with RMIT University’s CrossCheck hub, which on its website explains that it “rigorously monitors online misinformation, pre-emptively alerts and guides our media and community partners of emerging online narratives and harmful trends”.

Meta will also work with the government’s election integrity taskforce and security agencies to increase its ability to combat misinformation.

RMIT FactLab CrossCheck’s APAC director Anne Kruger said its hub had an important role to play ahead of the referendum.

“In the voice to parliament referendum some narratives may not fit into a clear ‘fact check’ yet are still important in terms of educating the public safely and calmly,” she said.

“This multimedia project will allow us to highlight themes, including via social media, and support democratic discussion.”

Meta came under criticism earlier this year by the No campaign, accusing Facebook of “interfering with the democratic process” after several posts about the voice by conservative think tank The Institute of Public Affairs were restricted on its platform.

The social media giant refuted the claims and said the IPA had failed to include a required authorisation message on an advertisement against the vote, which it said failed to adhere to the platform’s rules.

Ms Garlick said Meta would also provide mental health support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and it had been working closely with them in the lead-up to the referendum.

“Feedback we’ve heard is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may need additional support, before, during and after the referendum,” she said. “With this in mind, we’re partnering with ReachOut to create a dedicated youth mental health initiative.”

Charities including UNICEF will also be provided with advertisement credits to “raise awareness of voice-related media literacy” and help “raise the voices of a range of young people in support of the voice to parliament including Aboriginal youth”.

UNICEF Australia head of child rights policy, advocacy and child/youth voice Katie Maskiell said the move would provide “perspectives of our younger generations on this issue” and be a “meaningful use of social media and valuable contribution during the debate”.