Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Google Pledges Over $29 Million to Help Fight Misinformation, Fake News

Google Pledges Over $29 Million to Help Fight Misinformation, Fake News

Amid the 2020 election and the pandemic, there has been growing concern about the spread of disinformation and misinformation. As a result, the chief executives of global tech giants Facebook, Google and Twitter recently found themselves in the spotlight of a tense hearing, as lawmakers questioned them over their companies’ role in the propagation.

Google has pledged over $29 million to help launch the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF) to help fight fake news. In upcoming weeks, the EMIF will provide competitive grants to researchers, fact-checkers, non-profits and other organizations who participate in disinformation research.


The pledge from Google came in the form of a company blog published on Wednesday by Matt Brittin, president of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa. In the blog titled “Google's €25 million contribution to media literacy,” Brittin ensured the goal of the company would be helping consumers get the information they want, the answers they need and the accuracy they deserve by strengthening media literacy skills, fighting misinformation and providing support for facts.

Brittin explained in the Wednesday blog that proposals for the grant will be chosen by independent committees made up of industry experts, underscoring that “Google won’t be involved in any decision making related to the fund.”



Last week, heads of the leading US Tech companies - Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey - were summoned by congressional lawmakers to appear before a virtual hearing with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

During the mid-March meeting, officials such as Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) accused the platforms of allowing misinformation tied to the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 vaccine to be amplified online.

Doyle cited research that found 65% of anti-vaccine disinformation online came from 12 individuals or organizations. “Social media companies need to step up to protect our civil rights, our human rights, and human lives – not sit on the sidelines as our nation drowns in a sea of disinformation,” he said during the hearing.

Disinformation is defined as information that is intentionally falsified and meant to mislead or deceive the public.

Lawmakers also touched heavily on the idea of reforming Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 internet-related piece of legislation that provides tech companies with the ability to decide how to moderate content on their platforms. The law, which also shields them from liability over what their users post, proved to be a thorn in former US President Donald Trump’s side as he repeatedly called for the measure to be revoked.

Citing the former president’s role in the deadly Capitol riot, Twitter permanently suspended Trump’s account after indicating that he repeatedly violated platform policy. At the time, many netizens praised the move but demanded more be done to combat issues related to the spread of misinformation, especially concerning the distribution of the novel coronavirus vaccine.


As the first tech company to contribute to EMIF, Brittin encouraged other organizations to “follow our lead and support this important work.” The EMIF is currently managed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in partnership with the European University Institute and the European Digital Media Observatory.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×