Google to Launch Anti-Fake Campaign in the EU Ahead of European Parliament Elections

Google is preparing to launch a campaign against disinformation in five European Union (EU) countries ahead of parliamentary elections in the block and new, stricter rules for combating online content. This was reported by Reuters.

The European Digital Services Act, which comes into force this week, will require major online platforms and search engines to do more to combat illegal content and public safety risks.

Google's in-house public safety unit, Jigsaw, will run a series of animated ads on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube in five EU countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Poland.

The new project is an opportunity to reach citizens in the countries with the largest number of voters in the EU, leveraging the company's local experience in these regions and building on previous campaigns that Google has tested in Germany and Central Europe.

The anti-disinformation ads will use so-called "prebunking" techniques developed in partnership with researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol to help viewers identify manipulative content before they watch it.

Viewers of YouTube ads will be asked to complete a short, multiple-choice questionnaire designed to assess what they have learned about disinformation.

In June this year, EU citizens will elect a new European Parliament to make policies and laws for the region, and lawmakers fear that the spread of disinformation online could influence voters.

Earlier on Monday, France, Poland and Germany accused Russia of creating a sophisticated network of websites to spread pro-Russian propaganda in Europe.