Last month, 750 cases were detected in the EU in which a foreign operator deliberately tried to spread false information online.
Google is preparing a campaign against false information and propaganda, which will be implemented before the European Parliament elections in June.
Videos warning citizens about online influence will be shown in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. Animated educational videos are shown on popular online platforms such as YouTube and Tiktok.
The news agency Reuters reports on the company’s project.
It is possible to influence the foreign policy of democracies by manipulating public opinion, for example by spreading false information.
On Monday, France, Poland and Germany accused Russia of just this kind of influence. According to these countries, Russia has built a network of websites that spreads propaganda favorable to the Kremlin in Europe.
The EU tightened the legislation
Tomorrow, the long-prepared digital services law will enter into force in the EU. Its purpose is to regulate online marketplaces, social networks and various content distribution platforms more precisely than before.
One of the main goals of the law is to combat the spread of disinformation. The main principles of Google’s campaign are largely the same as the new legislation.
– We have spent so much time on these arguments from really opposing points of view. Our democracy is now at stake and the temperature will continue to rise, described the representative of Google Beth Goldberg news agency Reuters.
The internet and the social media platforms it offers are increasingly used to spread state propaganda.
According to the European External Action Service, last month alone, 750 cases where a foreign operator tried to spread false information online were revealed in the Union territory.
Often it was about spreading propaganda favorable to Russia, the Reuters news agency writes.
Source: Reuters