Google declines EU factchecking regulations

(MENAFN) Google has announced it will not integrate fact-checking features into its search results or YouTube content, despite new European Union regulations. In a letter to EU officials, Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, explained the company's position, stating that it will continue to use its existing content moderation practices. Walker argued that the fact-checking measures required under the EU’s updated Code of Practice on Disinformation are “not appropriate or effective” for Google’s platforms.

The strengthened Code, introduced in 2022 and linked to the Digital Services Act (DSA), requires tech companies to adopt measures against disinformation, including integrating fact-checking. Initially voluntary, the Code is expected to become mandatory under the DSA, which prompted Google to announce it will withdraw from the voluntary agreement before the regulations turn binding. Walker emphasized that Google’s current practices, such as SynthID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube, were more effective in addressing disinformation, pointing to the success of these tools during the busy global election cycle.

Additionally, Walker highlighted a 2022 feature on YouTube that allows users to add contextual notes to videos, a measure he believes is a significant innovation in content moderation. However, this approach stops short of traditional fact-checking. Google’s resistance to the EU’s fact-checking requirements aligns with broader industry trends, as other major tech companies, like Meta and X (formerly Twitter), have also scaled back their content moderation efforts.

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