Google Launched Anti-Misinformation Campaign in India

Jigsaw subsidiary of Google, is launching a new anti-misinformation project in India, and the campaign is aimed at preventing misleading information that has been blamed for violence.

According to a top executive at Google, the initiative will use prebunking videos, designed to counter false claims before they have become widespread, that are circulated on the YouTube platform of Google, and several other media websites.

The efforts of Google to challenge the spread of misinformation mark a contrast with Twitter which is dropping its safety and trust teams, despite Elon Musk saying it will not become a free-for-all.

Google has conducted an experiment in Europe where the company sought information to counter anti-refugee narratives online in the wake of the Russia and Ukraine war. The anti-misinformation experiment in India will be bigger in scope as Google deals with multiple local languages, including Marathi, Bengali, and Hindi, and it also covers different sections of India.

Beth Goldberg, head of research and development at Google Jigsaw, said that the experiment presented an opportunity to research in a non-western global south market. Just like in other countries, misinformation is spreading rapidly across India, mostly through social media, generating religious and political tensions.

The officials of Indian government have called on technology companies like Twitter, Meta, and Google to take strong action against the spread of fake news.