GOOGLE has announced plans to roll out new features that enhance access to trusted information as well as invest $10 million to address the spread of misinformation, especially about the realities and facts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Chief Executive Officer of Google and Alphabet Inc., Sundar Pichai made this announcement during a visit to civil societies supporting refugees as well as Ukrainian startups in Warsaw, Poland.
“A big part of the challenge is addressing the misinformation that is spreading about the realities and facts of the war in Ukraine. Today, we’re committing an additional $10 million for this effort, including new partnerships with think tanks and civil society organizations to conduct region-specific research into misinformation and disinformation, as well as cash grants to support fact-checking networks and non-profits,” Sundar said in the blog post.
He noted that more features will be introduced to combat misinformation and enhance reliable information.
“As an information company, we take our responsibility seriously to provide reliable, trustworthy information to people when they need it. We saw how many Ukrainians turned to Search to find up-to-date information, including where to find shelter or humanitarian aid, and relied on air raid alerts on their phones. To help, we’re also rolling out new features that enhance access to trusted information, including Info Panels in local languages and Transparency Labels for publisher content on YouTube.”
He added that Jigsaw, a unit within Google, will partner with local experts and academics to develop approaches to counter disinformation and help people easily identify disinformation.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
