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Google Rejects EU’s Call For Fact-Checking In Search & YouTube


Google has allegedly said the EU will not add fact-checking to search results or YouTube videos, nor will it use fact-checking to influence rankings or remove content.

This decision defies new EU rules aimed at combating disinformation.

Google Says No to EU Disinformation Code

In a letter to Renata Nikolay of the European Commission, Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, said fact-checking was “not appropriate or effective” for Google’s services.

Updated EU Disinformation Code, part Law on Digital Services (DSA), would require platforms to include fact-checking with search results and YouTube videos and to include them in their ranking systems.

Walker argued that Google’s current moderation tools – such as SynthID watermarking and AI detection on YouTube – are already effective.

He pointed to last year’s election as evidence that Google can manage misinformation without fact-checking.

Google has also confirmed that it plans to fully withdraw all fact-checking obligations in the EU’s voluntary Disinformation Code before becoming bound by the DSA.

Context: big elections are ahead of us

This rejection by Google comes ahead of several key European elections, including:

  • Federal elections in Germany (February 23)
  • Presidential elections in Romania (May 4)
  • Presidential elections in Poland (May 18)
  • Parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic (September)
  • Norwegian parliamentary elections (September 8)

This election is likely to test how well tech platforms deal with disinformation without stricter rules.

Tech giants are giving up on fact-checking

Google’s decision follows a larger industry trend.

Last week, Meta announced that it would end its fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram and Threads and switch to a crowdsourced model like X’s (formerly Twitter) Community Notes.

Elon Musk has drastically reduced moderation on X since he bought the platform in 2022.

What does that mean

As platforms like Google and Meta move away from active fact-checking, there are growing concerns about how misinformation will spread – especially during elections.

While tech companies say transparency tools and user-driven features are enough, critics say they don’t do enough to combat misinformation.

Google’s refusal signals a widening gap between regulators and platforms over how to manage harmful content.


Featured Image: Tita’s game/Shutterstock



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