Google Steps Up Fight Against Disinformation Ahead of EU Elections
prativad 
Ahead of the crucial European Parliament elections in June, Google is taking a two-pronged approach to combat disinformation:
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Funding Fact-Checking: Google is donating €1.5 million to the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) to support their "Elections24Check" initiative. This coalition of over 40 fact-checking organizations will create the first-ever open database of election-related disinformation in Europe. This resource will be crucial for researchers and fact-checkers worldwide.
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Empowering Youth: Google is granting $1 million to ThinkYoung, a Belgian think tank, to organize hackathons across Europe. These events will focus on developing solutions to combat disinformation, particularly within underserved communities.
These initiatives build upon Google's recent "prebunking" campaign launched in key European countries. This campaign utilizes short social media videos (available in multiple languages) to educate viewers on how to identify manipulative content before encountering it.
These efforts come amidst growing pressure from the EU's new Digital Service Act (DSA). This act aims to hold tech companies accountable for tackling illegal content and public safety risks, including the spread of disinformation.
