The search giant has rejected EU mandates to incorporate fact-checking into its search results and YouTube videos.
Google is resisting requirements imposed by the European Union (EU) that would compel the company to display fact-checks alongside its search results and YouTube videos. According to a report from Axios, Google has also declined to embed fact-checking directly into its ranking algorithms, which may soon be mandated under the EU’s new Code of Practice on Disinformation.
This development arrives amid intensified discussions surrounding the responsibilities of major tech platforms in managing misinformation and regulating content. Earlier this month Meta announced its decision to discontinue its fact-checking programme in favour of a new system reminiscent of X’s Community Notes.
In a letter to the European Commission, Google’s global affairs president Kent Walker said that Google will not adhere to the forthcoming fact-checking provisions stipulated in the EU’s code, insisting they were “neither appropriate nor effective” for the company’s services.
Walker defended Google’s existing strategies for content moderation, claiming that they successfully navigated “unprecedented cycles of global elections” in 2024. He also pointed to YouTube’s recently introduced feature that enables users to add contextual notes to videos, suggesting it holds “significant potential” for moderating misinformation.
Originally drafted in 2018 and activated in 2022, the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation encompasses various voluntary commitments for technology firms, private entities and fact-checking organisations aimed at combating fake news. Over the past year, EU officials have engaged in private discussions with tech corporations as part of their initiative to convert these voluntary measures into a legally binding code of conduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Despite these efforts, Google has expressed no intention to comply with the impending regulations. Walker reportedly stated in his letter that Google would withdraw from all fact-checking obligations outlined in the code before it transitions into the DSA Code of Conduct.
Nevertheless, Google plans to continue enhancing its current approaches to content moderation. Walker noted that the company is focused on offering users more information regarding their search outcomes, implementing features like Synth ID watermarking, along with AI disclosures on YouTube.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.thewrap.com/google-fact-checking-simply-isnt-appropriate-european-union/ – Google’s decision to not add fact checks to its search results or YouTube videos, and Kent Walker’s statement that the law ‘simply isn’t appropriate or effective’ for Google’s services.
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-rejects-eus-call-for-fact-checking-in-search-youtube/537573/ – Google’s refusal to implement EU-mandated fact-checking on its platforms and its argument that current moderation tools are effective.
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-rejects-eus-call-for-fact-checking-in-search-youtube/537573/ – Google’s plans to fully exit all fact-checking commitments in the EU’s voluntary Disinformation Code before it becomes mandatory under the DSA.
- https://www.thewrap.com/google-fact-checking-simply-isnt-appropriate-european-union/ – The EU’s updated Disinformation Code, part of the Digital Services Act (DSA), requiring platforms to include fact-checks alongside search results and YouTube videos.
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-rejects-eus-call-for-fact-checking-in-search-youtube/537573/ – Kent Walker’s defense of Google’s existing strategies for content moderation and the mention of YouTube’s feature for adding contextual notes to videos.
- https://www.thewrap.com/google-fact-checking-simply-isnt-appropriate-european-union/ – Google’s current approach to content moderation and its success during the ‘unprecedented cycle’ of elections in 2024.
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-rejects-eus-call-for-fact-checking-in-search-youtube/537573/ – The upcoming European elections that will test how well tech platforms handle misinformation without stricter rules.
- https://www.thewrap.com/google-fact-checking-simply-isnt-appropriate-european-union/ – Meta’s decision to discontinue its fact-checking program in favor of a new system similar to X’s Community Notes.
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-rejects-eus-call-for-fact-checking-in-search-youtube/537573/ – Google’s plans to continue enhancing its current approaches to content moderation, including features like Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube.
- https://www.thewrap.com/google-fact-checking-simply-isnt-appropriate-european-union/ – The historical context of the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation, originally drafted in 2018 and activated in 2022.
Register for Editor’s picks
Stay ahead of the curve with our Editor's picks newsletter – your weekly insight into the trends, challenges, and innovations driving the future of digital media.
