Google Declines Fact-Checking Integration Despite EU Law
Google told the European Union that it will not include fact-checking in its search results or YouTube videos, nor will it use fact-checks for content ranking or removal, according to Axios. The company said it will enhance its existing content moderation strategies, stressing their features' success.
Google Will Not Add Fact Checks Despite E.U. Law
Google informed the European Union that it will not incorporate fact-checking work from organizations into Search or YouTube, despite the requirements of a new E.U. law.
Previously, Google had agreed to voluntary commitments introduced by the E.U. to combat online disinformation, which is now being formalized under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
This pushback coincides with increased efforts from U.S. tech leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, to engage President-elect Donald Trump. Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg have also directly urged him to challenge E.U. regulatory enforcement.
The code would require Google to display fact-check results alongside search results and YouTube videos, as well as incorporate fact-checking into its ranking systems and algorithms.
In a letter obtained by Axios, Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, told Renate Nikolay, the deputy director-general of the European Commission’s content and technology division, that the fact-checking integration required by the Commission's new Disinformation Code of Practice “simply isn't appropriate or effective for our services.”
Walker confirmed that Google would not commit to the integration.
Walker defended Google's current content moderation approach, citing its success in managing content during last year's “unprecedented cycle of global elections.”
He also highlighted a new YouTube feature that allows some users to add contextual notes to videos, which he believes “has significant potential.” This feature is similar to X's Community Notes and a new program announced by Meta.
Google plans to enhance its existing content moderation practices, with a focus on providing users with more information about search results through features like Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube.
E.U.'s Code of Practice on Disinformation
The E.U.'s Code of Practice on Disinformation, introduced in 2022, outlines voluntary commitments for tech companies and organizations, including fact-checking groups. Although it builds on a framework first established in 2018, it came into effect before the E.U.’s Digital Services Act (DSA) in 2022.
The Code requires signatories to collaborate with fact-checkers across all E.U. countries, provide their work in all E.U. languages, and eliminate financial incentives for spreading disinformation.
It also mandates companies to help users identify, understand, and report disinformation, label political ads, and analyze fake accounts, bots, and malicious deepfakes. While these commitments are crucial, they are not legally binding.
Google Has Not Included Fact-Checking in Moderation Practices
Fact-checking is not part of Google’s content moderation practices. The company expressed objections to some of the Code's requirements, stating that “Search and YouTube will endeavor to reach agreements with fact-checking organizations in line with this measure, but services will not have complete control over this process.”
A total of 40 online platforms, including Microsoft, TikTok, Twitch, and Meta, have signed the Code, despite Meta discontinuing its fact-checking program in the U.S. earlier this month. X was also a signatory but withdrew after Elon Musk purchased the platform.
According to the European Fact-Checking Standards Network, many other digital platforms that signed the voluntary disinformation Code have been slow to meet their commitments.
It remains unclear whether all the Code's requirements will be formalized as official rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). E.U. lawmakers are still in discussions with signatories to determine which commitments they will adopt.
The European Commission has not yet specified when the Code will officially become law, but it stated in November that it is expected to take effect by January 2025.
Meta Gets Rid of Fact-Checking Service
On January 7, Meta announced that it will replace its fact-checking program with X-style community notes across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads platforms.
This is part of a broader shift aimed at reducing “censorship” and promoting “free expression.”
The changes come ahead of Donald Trump’s return to power on Monday, 20 January 2025.
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