Alphabet-owned Google on Tuesday (March 12) collaborated with the Election Commission of India (ECI), in a bid to combat the dissemination of false information, endorse authorised content and appropriately label artificial intelligence AI-generated data during the upcoming 2024 general elections. The tech giant has mentioned that backing elections is a "pivotal aspect" of its commitment to its users and the democratic process.
An official blog post from Google mentioned that the tech giant is dedicated to help in the election process by providing voters with top-notch information, protecting its platforms from misuse and assisting individuals in navigating AI-generated content. Notably, millions of people in India are eligible voters.
"In the run-up to elections, people need useful and relevant information to help them navigate the electoral process. We make reliable information easily available with helpful product features, showing data from trusted organisations across our products. Our product features are designed to elevate authoritative information on a variety of election-related topics," Google India Team wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"Voting information on Google Search and YouTube: We’re collaborating with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enable people to easily discover critical voting information on Google Search - such as how to register and how to vote - in both English and Hindi," the blog post added.
YouTube emphasised that its recommendation system prominently features content from authoritative sources for news and election-related information. This includes showcasing such content on the YouTube homepage, in search results, and highlighting high-quality material from authoritative news sources.
"During election season, YouTube surfaces a variety of election information panels, including on how to register to vote, how to vote and candidate information," the blog post noted.
Google has implemented strict policies and restrictions regarding the eligibility of entities to run election-related advertising on its platforms. These measures include identity verification, certification, and authorisation by the Election Commission of India (ECI), as well as disclosures regarding financiers.
Google also mentioned about its recent membership in the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and commitment to preventing deceptive AI-generated imagery, audio, or video content from disrupting this year's global elections. Both India and the US go to elections this year. Earlier, Google introduced the Google News Initiative Training Network and the Fact Check Explorer tool to empower newsrooms and journalists to provide trustworthy, fact-checked updates and debunk misinformation.