Google has made a bold move by informing the European Union that it will not add fact checks to search results and YouTube videos, nor will it use them in ranking or removing content, despite the requirements of a new EU law. This decision marks a significant win for free speech and against censorship, with many applauding Google for pushing back on EU regulation.
The new EU Disinformation Code of Practice, introduced in 2022, mandates that tech companies like Google include fact-checking alongside search results and YouTube videos. It also requires fact-checking to be integrated into their ranking systems and algorithms to reduce the spread of false information online. However, Google has consistently resisted the idea of using fact-checking as part of its content moderation strategy, arguing that the new requirements are not a good fit for its services.
In a letter to the European Commission, Kent Walker, Google’s global affairs president, stated that adding fact-checking to its search results and YouTube videos “isn’t appropriate or effective” for the company. Walker pointed to Google’s existing content moderation tools, such as SynthID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube, as effective measures already in place. He also highlighted YouTube’s new feature allowing users to add contextual notes to videos, similar to X’s Community Notes program.
This decision by Google comes amid a broader trend in the tech industry, with companies like Meta also moving away from active fact-checking and reducing content moderation efforts. As the debate around misinformation continues, Google’s refusal to comply with the EU’s demands is just the latest chapter in the ongoing conversation about the role of tech companies in managing online content.
Major win for free speech and against censorship. Kudos to Google for pushing back on EU regulation! We need to get our sh*t together and start innovating and changing to save Europe.
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