Google chooses not to comply with the EU fact-checking legislation.

Google has informed the European Union that it will not comply with new legislation on fact-checking, according to a letter obtained by a media outlet. The company has stated that it will not include fact-checks in search results or in YouTube videos, and that it will not use fact-checking data to rank or remove content. It is noteworthy that Google has never actively participated in fact-checking as part of its content moderation policies, although it did invest in a fact-checking database in Europe ahead of the recent EU elections.

This new fact-checking obligation is part of the European Commission's Code of Practice on Disinformation, which was originally a voluntary set of "self-regulatory standards to combat disinformation" but is set to become a mandatory requirement.

Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, stated in his letter to the European Commission that integrating these fact-checks "is simply not appropriate or effective for our services." The company also defended its current content moderation approach, suggesting that it has managed it well during last year's "unprecedented cycle of global elections."

Additionally, Google mentioned a new feature introduced in YouTube last year, which allows certain users to add contextual notes to videos, indicating that this option "has significant potential." This program is similar to Community Notes on X and likely to the efforts being developed by Meta.

Walker also highlighted that Google will continue to invest in content moderation technologies, such as Synth ID tagging and AI disclosures on YouTube. The EU's response to Google's non-compliance with digital fact-checking practices, which will soon become law, remains uncertain.

This development comes shortly after Meta announced the end of its fact-checking program in the United States, raising the question of whether Mark Zuckerberg will comply with European laws. On the other hand, X has reduced the number of professional fact-checkers. Clearly, big tech companies seem to be facing challenges regarding the veracity of information.