London, Nov 26th : .Google welcomes the European Union’s (EU), proposals to curb misuse of political advertising to undermine election results.
Google has stated that it is crucial that the upcoming law clarifies who and what content are subject to the obligations related to political advertising.It also gives clear examples of what would and would not be included. Late Thursday’s EU proposals would also ban political targeting as well as AI/ML techniques that are used to reach more people.
If they fail to comply, political parties, organisations, and companies could face penalties
Matt Brittin, President of Google Europe, Middle East, and Africa, stated in a blog post, that this field is complex, and requires a balance between minimising misinformation and protecting legitimate political expression.
He stated that “without clear definitions, different businesses will adopt inconsistent or conflicting policies, creating confusion for advertisers and undermining transparency to citizens.”
Brittin said that the current text could also inadvertently affect a wider range ads than intended.Brittin cited examples of ads from NGOs on public concerns or from citizens speaking out about social issues.
Google was among the first signatories of EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.
Vera Jourova (Vice President European Commission) says that people need to know why they are seeing the ad, who paid it, how much it cost, and what microtargeting criteria were used.
She stated in a statement that “new technologies should be tools to emancipation, and not for manipulation.”
The tech giant stated that advertisers would “self-declare” to ensure transparency and better practice.This is where political advertisers verify their identities and declare when running political ads.
Google stated that “continuing discussions with stakeholders will assist regulation react to changing contexts and emerging trends that might impact definitions, regulatory provisions, or enforcement.”
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