According to a senior official, Google’s Jigsaw division is starting a new anti-misinformation effort in India to stop false information that has been accused of instigating violence.
The campaign will make use of “prebunking” videos shared on the company’s YouTube channel and other social media platforms, which are intended to refute erroneous claims before they gain traction.
In contrast to rival Twitter, which is reducing its trust and safety teams despite new owner Elon Musk’s assurances that it won’t turn into a “free-for-all hellscape,” Google is making an attempt to combat the spread of disinformation.
Throughout the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Google recently tested a strategy in Europe to counter anti-refugee web sentiments.
The project in India will have a broader reach because it will deal with several regional tongues — Bengali, Hindi, and Marathi — and span numerous regions of a nation with over a billion inhabitants.
“This presented an opportunity to research prebunking in a non-western, global south market,” said Beth Goldberg, Jigsaw’s head of research and development.
Similar to other nations, India experiences quick dissemination of false information, primarily via social media, which fuels tensions on the political and religious fronts.
Officials from the Indian government have urged tech giants like Google, Meta, and Twitter to do more to stop the dissemination of false information.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has frequently used “special powers” to block Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as some YouTube channels that are purportedly spreading damaging news.
To read our blog on “YouTube’s latest update aims to eliminate fake accounts,” click here.
