The fight against disinformation and synthetic media is essential for social peace, security and reaching true information, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Wednesday.
In a workshop organized by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications on “Synthetic Media and Information Security,” which focuses on video, audio, visual and text materials that seem real but were created through artificial intelligence, the minister underlined that the digital age brings together advantages as well as risks.
“In our Cabinet period, we determined 237,753 accounts constituting criminal activities. (Some) 21,214 URL accounts have been blocked while 112,854 social media accounts were banned,” Yerlikaya said. “In the first four months of this year, meanwhile, 6,765 URL accounts and 27,304 social media accounts were blocked.”
“It is vital to take into account the risks that can be faced while using the potential of synthetic media and the thin line between opportunity and risk. The means that AI and synthetic media present can turn into a weapon manipulating societies, violating the rights of individuals as well as threatening social order in malevolent hands,” the minister underlined.
The Interior Ministry itself is fighting disinformation through the cybercrime combating units within the General Directorate of Security and the Gendarmerie General Command.
“We meticulously evaluate the reports made on digital platforms, and we take swift action, especially against content that aims to disrupt public order or incite our people.”
Saying that solely the efforts of security forces will not be enough, Yerlikaya emphasized that legislation must be strengthened, social awareness increased and international cooperation ensured.
Yerlikaya reminded that the European Commission’s report titled “Artificial Intelligence and Disinformation,” published last year, drew attention to the need for states to develop “common ethical principles on synthetic media,” “control mechanisms” and “technological balancers.”
“As Türkiye, we are determined to strengthen both our legal regulations and institutional capacity in this direction.”
The communications directorate has created the Fight Against Disinformation Center (DMM), which is actively combating the spread of false information on social media by sharing accurate updates in five languages to ensure the public receives reliable information. The center has especially focused on swiftly verifying baseless accusations related to Türkiye’s policies and actions on the global stage. But it is also investigating global events. Especially since the start of Israel’s attacks on Palestine, the center has debunked a series of social media claims about the ongoing developments in Gaza in a weekly bulletin.
Yerlikaya continued to say that synthetic media also posed a threat to freedom of speech, as seen in the case of Gaza.
“The voice of our Palestinian brothers, has been attempted to be suppressed in the dark corridors of the digital world,” the minister said. “The story of Gaza, its reality was attempted to be suppressed through preventing human honor and conscience.”
“As can be seen in the reports published by our Directorate of Communications, the visibility of pro-Palestinian posts has been partially or completely removed during the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok have frequently censored images of the genocide in Gaza and calls for help, claiming that their ‘content policy has been violated,’” he added.
Yerlikaya said further that a similar scenario had been seen in 2017 when the Myanmar military launched its genocide against the Rohingya Muslims.