With the General Election approaching in India, Google India has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the electoral process by providing reliable information to voters and safeguarding its platforms against misuse.
Here’s how Google India plans to assist:
Connecting Voters to Reliable Information
Voting Information: To aid voters in understanding the electoral process, Google is ensuring that credible information is easily accessible through its platforms.
They collaborate with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide essential voting information in English and Hindi on Google Search and YouTube. This includes details on registration procedures and voting guidelines.
Authoritative Content: On YouTube, authoritative content related to elections is prominently featured, guiding viewers on registration, voting, and candidate information.
Additionally, information panels highlight sources of funding for publishers and offer contextual insights on topics susceptible to misinformation, such as electronic voting machines.
Safeguarding Platforms and Combating Misinformation
Google enforces strict policies to maintain the integrity of elections across its platforms. Measures include:
Enforcement of Policies: Policies against false claims detrimental to democratic processes are rigorously enforced, employing both human reviewers and AI models.
Transparency on Election Ads: Advertisers wishing to run election-related ads must undergo identity verification and provide necessary certifications. Google also compiles election ads in a searchable hub for transparency on advertisers and expenditure.
Collaboration against Misinformation: Google collaborates with newsrooms and fact-checkers through initiatives like the Google News Initiative Training Network and Fact Check Explorer to combat misinformation effectively. It also collaborates with Shakti, India Election Fact-Checking Collective.
Helping Navigate AI-generated Content
As AI-generated content becomes prevalent, Google is introducing tools and policies to assist users:
Ads Disclosures: Google requires disclosure for election ads containing synthetic content, prohibiting manipulated media to mislead viewers.
Content Labels on YouTube: Labels are displayed for content created with YouTube generative AI features, ensuring viewers are informed about synthetic content.
Responsible AI Approach: Google restricts certain election-related queries on its AI products and emphasizes providing high-quality, credible information.
Providing Additional Context: Features like “About this Image in Search” and the double-check feature in Gemini help users assess the credibility of online content.
Industry Collaboration
Google is part of the C2PA coalition, collaborating across industries to prevent deceptive AI-generated content from influencing elections globally. The coalition aims to counter harmful content through technological advancements and commitments to transparency.
Announcing the updates, Google India posted:
We are dedicated to building upon our efforts in supporting elections globally. Google remains steadfast in collaborating with government, industry, and civil society to ensure voters worldwide have access to trustworthy and valuable information online.