Statements from EU officials, major tech companies, and industry analysts

Google Rejects EU's 2022 Fact-Checking Mandate for Search and YouTube, Cites DSA

Jan 16, 2025, 08:17 PM

Google has informed the European Union that it will not integrate fact-checking into its search results or YouTube videos, nor will it use fact-checking for content ranking or removal, despite new EU regulations. This stance was communicated in a letter to the European Commission, where Google's global affairs president, Kent Walker, stated that fact-checking is 'not appropriate or effective' for their services. Google has never included fact-checking as part of its content moderation practices and plans to withdraw from all fact-checking commitments before they become legally binding under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU's Code of Practice on Disinformation, introduced in 2022, would have required Google to incorporate fact-check results alongside its search results and YouTube videos. Instead, Google will continue to invest in its existing content moderation practices, which include features like Synth ID watermarking and AI disclosures on YouTube. The letter was addressed to Renate Nikolay, the Deputy Director General under the EU's content and technology wing.