Google, YouTube Should Ban War Propaganda Accounts: EU Industry Chief

Alphabet and its YouTube unit ought to ban customers pushing struggle propaganda as a part of measures to cease disinformation after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, EU business chief Thierry Breton advised the chief executives of the businesses on Sunday.

Alphabet’s Google on Saturday barred Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and different channels from receiving cash for advertisements on their web sites, apps and YouTube movies, much like a transfer by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine.

In a video name with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Breton mentioned the businesses ought to go additional.

“Freedom of expression does not cover war propaganda. For too long, content from Russia Today and other Russian state media has been amplified by algorithms and proposed as ‘recommended content’ to people who had never requested it,” Breton mentioned in an announcement after the video name.

“War propaganda should never be recommended content – what is more, it should have no place on online platforms at all. I count on the tech industry to take urgent and effective measures to counter disinformation,” he mentioned.

Breton mentioned the businesses’ phrases and situations for customers needs to be expanded to incorporate struggle propaganda, giving them the ability to kick violators off their platforms.

The fee mentioned there was settlement to adapt and replace the platforms’ insurance policies in view of the present state of affairs.

European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova additionally took half within the video name.

“I expect YouTube and Google to step up efforts to address Russian war propaganda. Russia has weaponised information, this is why platforms cannot be a space for its war lies,” she mentioned in an announcement.

Google mentioned it had already taken unprecedented steps to halt disinformation on Ukraine.

“As we said to the Commissioners, our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock and are ready to take further action,” a Google spokesperson mentioned.

Banning accounts selling struggle propaganda may very well be problematic, nonetheless, due to the problem of defining what constitutes propaganda and from whose perspective.

© Thomson Reuters 2022