Google updates service policies to comply with EU regulations
Google plans to update some of its service policies to comply with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), according to an Aug. 24 blog post.
The Big Tech giant said it had made “significant investments” in various areas to comply with the DSA’s specific requirements.
It plans to expand its Ads Transparency Center, researchers’ access to data and its transparency research; add more visibility for content moderation; create a new Transparency Center for its policies; and conduct more in-depth risk analysis.
The post also expressed that Google has voiced concerns about the “potential unintended consequences” of some of these measures:
“Such as the risk of making it easier for bad actors to abuse our services and spread harmful misinformation by providing too much information about our enforcement approach.”
The EU’s DSA intends to consolidate content regulations across the region and form more specific processes for content moderation online. It also categorized 17 online platforms as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) and two as “very large online search engines” (VLOSEs).
General requirements for sites in these categories include preventing and removing illegal posts and offering a way to report them; banning targeted advertising based on a user’s sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or political beliefs; restricting targeted ads to children; and sharing data with researchers and authorities.
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The VLOPs include Alibaba’s AliExpress, Amazon Store, Apple’s AppStore, Booking.com, Facebook, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia and Zalando.
The two VLOSEs were Bing Search and Google Search.
All the platforms mentioned in these categories had until Aug. 28 to meet the obligations of the DSA. Google called its updates “compliance at scale.”
TikTok also released a statement on Aug. 4 saying it had prepared for the measures. It said it added a new way to report illegal content, gave more information on its content moderation methods, made its recommendation system more transparent and updated its ad policy for teens.
Users took to Reddit to discuss the upcoming implementation of the DSA. Some praised the regulations as “needed” to keep Big Tech in line, while others said the policies limit free speech.
Taking the middle ground, one user argued it’s “too early to make a fair judgment.”
Despite these efforts to make the internet safer, Google took to its blog on Aug. 21 to respond to accusations that ads were tracking the data of children, an allegation published in a lengthy report.
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Nigel Farage has successfully exploited the Commons recess to “grab the mic” and “dominate” the agenda, Harriet Harman has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the Labour peer said that the Reform UK leader has been able to “get his voice heard” while government was not in “full swing”.
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Mr Farage used a speech this week to set himself, rather than Kemi Badenoch’s Tories, up as the main opposition to Sir Keir Starmer at the next election.
The prime minister responded on Thursday with a speech attacking the Clacton MP.
Baroness Harman said: “It’s slightly different between opposition and government because in government, the ministers have to be there the whole time.
“They’ve got to be putting legislation through and they kind of hold the mic.
“They can dominate the news media with the announcements they’re making and with the bills they’re introducing, and it’s quite hard for the opposition to get a hearing whilst the government is in full swing.
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‘Big cuts’ to fund other Reform UK policies
“What we used to do when we were in opposition before 1997 is that as soon as there was a bank holiday and the House was not sitting, as soon as the half-term or the summer recess, we would be on an absolute war footing and dominate the airwaves because that was our opportunity.
“And I think that’s a bit of what Farage has done this week,” Harman added.
“Basically, Farage can dominate the media agenda.”
She went on: “He’s kind of stepped forward, and he’s using this moment of the House not sitting in order to actually get his voice heard.
“It’s sensible for the opposition to take the opportunity of when the House is not sitting to kind of grab the mic and that is what Nigel Farage has done.”
But Baroness Harman said it “doesn’t seem to be what Kemi Badenoch’s doing”.
She explained that the embattled leader “doesn’t seem to be grabbing the mic like Nigel Farage has” during recess, and added that “there’s greater opportunity for the opposition”.
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