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Google has notified the European Union that it won\u2019t integrate work from fact-checking organizations into Search or YouTube, ahead of the bloc\u2019s plans to expand disinformation laws. Google had previously signed a set of voluntary commitments that the EU introduced in 2022 to reduce the impact of online disinformation, which are in the process of being formalized into law under the Digital Services Act (DSA<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a letter written to the European Commission\u2019s content and technology czar Renate Nikolay seen by Axios<\/em><\/a>, Google\u2019s global affairs president Kent Walker affirmed that Google won\u2019t commit to the fact-checking requirement as it \u201csimply isn\u2019t appropriate or effective for our services.\u201d Google will also \u201cpull out of all fact-checking commitments in the Code\u201d before the rules become law in the DSA Code of Conduct, according to Walker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Currently, the EU\u2019s Code of Practice on Disinformation<\/a> commits signatories to work with fact-checkers in all EU countries, make their work available to users in all EU languages, and cut financial incentives for spreading disinformation on their platforms. The code also compels companies to make it easier for users to recognize, understand, and flag disinformation, alongside labeling political ads and analyzing fake accounts, bots, and malicious deep fakes that spread disinformation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fact-checking isn\u2019t currently included as part of Google\u2019s content moderation practices. The company objected to some of the code\u2019s requirements in its agreement<\/a>, saying that \u201cSearch and YouTube will endeavour to reach agreements with fact checking organizations in line with this measure, but services will not have complete control over this process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s unclear whether all of the code\u2019s requirements will be formalized into official rules under the DSA \u2014 EU lawmakers have been in discussions with signatories regarding which commitments they will agree to follow. The Commission has yet to announce when the code will officially become law, having said in November<\/a> that it\u2019s expected to come into force by January 2025 \u201cat the earliest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n