Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Google Pledges Over $29 Million to Help Fight Misinformation, Fake News

Google Pledges Over $29 Million to Help Fight Misinformation, Fake News

Amid the 2020 election and the pandemic, there has been growing concern about the spread of disinformation and misinformation. As a result, the chief executives of global tech giants Facebook, Google and Twitter recently found themselves in the spotlight of a tense hearing, as lawmakers questioned them over their companies’ role in the propagation.

Google has pledged over $29 million to help launch the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF) to help fight fake news. In upcoming weeks, the EMIF will provide competitive grants to researchers, fact-checkers, non-profits and other organizations who participate in disinformation research.


The pledge from Google came in the form of a company blog published on Wednesday by Matt Brittin, president of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa. In the blog titled “Google's €25 million contribution to media literacy,” Brittin ensured the goal of the company would be helping consumers get the information they want, the answers they need and the accuracy they deserve by strengthening media literacy skills, fighting misinformation and providing support for facts.

Brittin explained in the Wednesday blog that proposals for the grant will be chosen by independent committees made up of industry experts, underscoring that “Google won’t be involved in any decision making related to the fund.”



Last week, heads of the leading US Tech companies - Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey - were summoned by congressional lawmakers to appear before a virtual hearing with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

During the mid-March meeting, officials such as Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) accused the platforms of allowing misinformation tied to the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 vaccine to be amplified online.

Doyle cited research that found 65% of anti-vaccine disinformation online came from 12 individuals or organizations. “Social media companies need to step up to protect our civil rights, our human rights, and human lives – not sit on the sidelines as our nation drowns in a sea of disinformation,” he said during the hearing.

Disinformation is defined as information that is intentionally falsified and meant to mislead or deceive the public.

Lawmakers also touched heavily on the idea of reforming Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 internet-related piece of legislation that provides tech companies with the ability to decide how to moderate content on their platforms. The law, which also shields them from liability over what their users post, proved to be a thorn in former US President Donald Trump’s side as he repeatedly called for the measure to be revoked.

Citing the former president’s role in the deadly Capitol riot, Twitter permanently suspended Trump’s account after indicating that he repeatedly violated platform policy. At the time, many netizens praised the move but demanded more be done to combat issues related to the spread of misinformation, especially concerning the distribution of the novel coronavirus vaccine.


As the first tech company to contribute to EMIF, Brittin encouraged other organizations to “follow our lead and support this important work.” The EMIF is currently managed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in partnership with the European University Institute and the European Digital Media Observatory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×