43% of Meta Ads About Starmer Are Disinformation
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fenimore Harper has uncovered a financial disinformation campaign which has been using deep-fakes of Prime Minister Keir Starmer to scam people out of their money.
Over 250 of these adverts have appeared on Meta’s platform since the election.
Up to £21,053 has been spent, reaching up to 891,834 people.
They represent 43% of all Meta adverts about Prime Minister Keir Starmer, meaning harmful disinformation ads risk outnumbering authentic ones.
Some of the adverts are still running now. Fenimore Harper has been able to identify these instantly using Meta’s own A.I. model, Llama 3.1 70B.
These findings indicate that AI-powered disinformation campaigns are a growing threat on social media platforms. More must be done to moderate them.
ABOUT FENIMORE HARPER
Fenimore Harper is a media insight and research firm. It was founded in 2021 by Marcus Beard, after working as a communications adviser at HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcus led the UK Government's digital counter-misinformation strategy. Working internationally, he advised partners such as NATO, the G7 and the governments of Ukraine, Bulgaria and North Macedonia.
Marcus' writing and research has appeared in The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, and Bloomberg. He has also provided political commentary for BBC News and Sky News.
CONTACT: marcus@fenimoreharper.com - 07809323683
