In a recent letter to the European Union, Google has made it clear that it will not incorporate fact-checking into its search algorithms or YouTube videos. The tech giant rejected proposals to use fact-checking as a factor in content ranking or removal, according to a report by Axios.
Google’s Stance on Fact-Checking Integration
Despite pressure from the EU’s new Disinformation Code of Practice, Google has maintained its stance on content moderation. The company had previously informed EU lawmakers of its position, and it has now reiterated this stance ahead of the voluntary code’s implementation. The letter, addressed to Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director General of the European Commission’s content and technology division, outlines Google’s refusal to adopt fact-checking as part of its service.
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Kent Walker, Google’s global affairs president, explained that the integration of fact-checking required by the Commission’s new code is “simply not appropriate or effective” for Google’s services. He emphasised that the company would not commit to the mandated changes. Google’s position has remained consistent, even though the code would require the company to display fact-check results alongside search outcomes and YouTube videos, as well as to adjust its ranking algorithms based on these checks.
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Walker pointed to Google’s existing content moderation practices as evidence of their effectiveness, especially during the recent global election cycles. He also highlighted a new feature on YouTube, introduced last year, that enables users to add contextual notes to videos. This feature, he argued, has significant potential, much like similar initiatives from other platforms like X and Meta.
EU’s Disinformation Code and Google’s Decision
The EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation, first introduced in 2018 and expanded in 2022, encourages tech companies to voluntarily engage with fact-checking entities. The code, which precedes the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), urges companies to formalise these practices under the act. However, Google has confirmed its decision not to adhere to the fact-checking commitments as the DSA Code of Conduct takes shape.
Looking ahead, Google plans to continue refining its content moderation policies, focusing on providing users with more context in search results through tools like Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube.
