Google has informed the EU that it will not implement fact-checking in its search results or YouTube videos, despite a new EU law requiring such measures. In a letter to Renate Nikolay from the European Commission, Google's global affairs president, Kent Walker, stated that integrating fact-checking is "not appropriate or effective" for their services. Google has historically not included fact-checking in its content moderation practices and plans to maintain its current approach, which it claims was effective during recent global elections.
The EU's Disinformation Code of Practice mandates that tech companies incorporate fact-check results into their platforms and algorithms. However, Walker indicated that Google intends to withdraw from all fact-checking commitments before the Code becomes a formal DSA Code of Conduct. He emphasized that Google will continue to enhance its content moderation through features like Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube.
This decision comes amid broader discussions about the responsibilities of tech platforms in managing misinformation, with other companies like Meta also scaling back their fact-checking efforts.
