Google Defies EU Fact-Checking Law Compliance
Google has decided not to comply with European fact-checking laws, raising concerns about the impact of this choice on the integrity of online information. This move highlights the ongoing struggle between major tech companies and European regulations.
Google Challenges the European Union
Google, the technology titan, has stated its refusal to comply with an upcoming European Union law on fact-checking, according to a letter obtained by Axios. The company has declared it will not add fact-checking controls to search results or YouTube videos, nor will it use such data to rank or remove content.
Limited Engagement in Fact-Checking
It’s important to note that Google has never truly engaged in fact-checking as part of its content moderation policy. However, the company has invested in a fact-checking database in Europe ahead of the recent EU elections.
The new fact-checking requirement was initially part of the European Commission’s new code of conduct on disinformation, starting as a voluntary set of “self-regulation standards to combat disinformation,” but it will soon become mandatory.
Google’s Stance
Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, mentioned in a letter to the European Commission that integrating fact-checking is “simply not suitable or effective for our services.” The company also praised its current approach to content moderation, claiming it performed exceptionally well during last year’s “unprecedented global election cycle.”
Google also highlighted a new feature added to YouTube last year that allows some users to add contextual notes to videos, stating it “has significant potential.”
Investment in Moderation Technology
Walker continued by stating that Google would keep investing in its current content moderation technologies, such as Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube. It remains unclear how the EU will respond to Google once digital fact-checking practices become law.
This news comes shortly after Meta announced it would end its fact-checking program in the U.S. It’s uncertain whether Mark Zuckerberg will comply with EU laws. X has scaled back its professional fact-checkers some time ago. Big Tech seems to have a significant issue with, let’s say, the facts.