Nepal asks Meta and TikTok to remove AI content related to flash floods
Nepal has asked Meta and TikTok to remove disturbing images, videos created using artificial intelligence (AI), fake donation QR codes, and misleading posts circulating after the flash flood disaster.
Government officials have held talks with representatives of the social media platforms based in Nepal to request faster action against content that could mislead the public, hamper relief operations, or further worsen the grief of victims’ families, local media The Kathmandu Post reported on Friday (28/8).
Bijay Kumar Roy, coordinator of the government task force for social media regulation and management, said authorities asked the companies to immediately remove inappropriate and misleading content once flagged.
Officials were also reported to have urged the platforms to make their algorithms more proactive in detecting and blocking fake content and graphics. Local authorities said old footage had been recirculated as if it were images from the latest disaster.
Meanwhile, videos and images created using AI were presented as if they were real events. Fake QR codes soliciting donations for flood victims also emerged.
According to the report, Meta and TikTok currently take between 24 and 48 hours to respond to reported posts. This prompted government officials to ask both platforms to speed up action against problematic content.
Previously, flash floods and landslides struck northern and central Nepal on Wednesday (26/8), sweeping through settlements along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers and destroying homes, bridges, and roads.
On the Chinese side, mud and landslide debris struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwestern China, also known as Tibet. The disaster cut off road access as well as communication networks and electricity supply.
Hundreds of residents, construction workers, and tourists in the affected areas of Gyirong County have been evacuated to safer locations, while search and rescue operations are still ongoing.