Around 400 million people are expected to vote in the European Parliamentary Elections this year. In a time where reliable information is crucial, Google and YouTube are teaming up with the European University Institute and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to host the Fighting Misinformation Online summit in Brussels. This event brings together experts from government, academia, civil society, and industry to focus on media literacy, civic engagement, and tackling misinformation in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
To support the European Parliament elections, Google has been working on providing voters with accurate information, securing their platforms, and training campaigns with top-notch security tools. They are also using AI to combat abuse effectively. Today, Google is updating the public on their efforts to combat misinformation and enhance media literacy, along with sharing insights on current Search trends.
Taking Action Against Misinformation: from Debunking to Prebunking
Fact-checkers are essential in debunking false information and promoting quality content. Google is contributing €1.5 million to the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) to launch Elections24Check. This initiative involves over 40 news and fact-checking organizations across Europe collaborating to fact-check the European Parliamentary Elections. They are creating a database of election-related misinformation to aid research and fact-checking worldwide.
According to Carlos Hernández-Echevarría, Chair of the EFCSN Governance Body, Elections24Check will provide an early detection system for online misinformation across Europe, including neighboring countries. This initiative is crucial in combating misinformation that spreads across borders, especially during elections.
Fact Check Explorer’s new features allow organizations to search fact-checks using images, which is vital in addressing misinformation spread through visuals. Google is also providing training on understanding the history and context of images online to trace their origins accurately.
Another crucial approach is prebunking, where audiences are educated on identifying common manipulation tactics to recognize misinformation online. Google’s prebunking campaign ahead of the European Parliamentary Elections provides techniques to enhance media literacy through short video ads in several languages.
Educational Resources for Journalists on Disinformation Awareness
AFP is launching resources for journalists to raise awareness about disinformation and strategies to combat it. They will release a series of videos on fact-checking online information in multiple languages and offer an online course on tackling disinformation during elections. These resources are backed by the Google News Initiative.
Empowering Young Voters through Partnerships
With the voting age lowered in some European countries, Google.org is granting $1 million to ThinkYoung, a Belgian think tank. This grant will support youth-led hackathons to empower young voters to combat disinformation particularly in underserved communities.
Insights into Search Trends
Google is launching the Google Trends Elections Hub for the European Parliamentary Elections, providing real-time EU-wide and country-level Search Trends data for Germany, France, Poland, and Spain. Additionally, they will introduce a Google Trends Elections Newsletter offering detailed analysis of Search Trends on parties, candidates, and political topics.
The goal is to reduce misinformation and promote reliable information, and Google is dedicated to collaborating with various sectors to achieve this objective during and beyond the election year.
