Google Challenges EU: Refuses to Add Fact-Checking to Search Results Under New Rules

January 18, 2025 – According to documents revealed by Axios today, Google has notified the European Union that it will not comply with the upcoming fact-checking laws. The tech giant stated that it will not integrate fact-checking content into its search results or YouTube videos, nor will it use fact-checking data to rank or remove content.

Historically, Google has never included fact-checking as part of its content management policies, despite investing in a European fact-checking database prior to the recent EU elections.

The impending fact-checking requirement stems from the European Commission’s new Code of Practice on Disinformation. Originally designed as a set of voluntary “self-regulatory standards for countering disinformation,” these standards are soon to become mandatory.

In a letter to the European Commission, Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, argued that the integration of fact-checking “is not suitable nor effective for our services.”

Additionally, Google mentioned that YouTube introduced a new feature last year, allowing some users to add contextual notes to videos, which has “huge potential.” This feature bears similarities to X’s “Community Notes.”

Walker further emphasized that Google will continue to invest in its existing content management technologies, such as Synth ID watermarking and AI-powered information disclosure on YouTube. It remains unclear how the EU will respond to Google’s stance once digital fact-checking becomes law.

This news comes as Meta announces the end of its fact-checking program in the United States, leaving it uncertain whether Mark Zuckerberg will adhere to the EU’s regulations. Meanwhile, X has already reduced the size of its professional fact-checking team.

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