Google, the tech giant under Alphabet, has announced a series of initiatives to comply with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), aiming to provide more information on targeted advertisements and extend researchers’ access to data on how its various products function.
Key Highlights:
- Expanding Ads Transparency Center: Google will enhance the Ads Transparency Center, a global repository of advertisers across its platforms, to conform to specific DSA provisions. This will include supplementary details on targeting for ads served in the European Union.
- Increasing Data Access for Researchers: To promote understanding of systemic content risks in the EU, Google will provide researchers more insight into how its platforms like Search, YouTube, Maps, Play, and Shopping operate.
- Enhancing Content Moderation Visibility: Google will furnish more insight into its content moderation decisions, including updating reporting and appeals processes and offering various contact methods for users.
- New Transparency Center: Google will launch a new Transparency Center, allowing users to access information about its policies on a product-by-product basis.
The DSA, which takes effect on Friday, sets forth a series of requirements that significantly impact companies like Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Twitter, booking.com, Pinterest, Snap Inc’s Snapchat, Wikipedia, Zalando, and Alibaba’s AliExpress due to their substantial user bases.
These requirements oblige companies to be more vigorous in combating child sexual abuse material and disinformation. They must also ensure transparency in their algorithmic processes, bots, and targeted advertisements, and promptly remove illegal, unsafe, or counterfeit products from their platforms.
Google’s vice president for trust and safety, Laurie Richardson, elaborated on the company’s commitment in a blog post, detailing the steps Google is taking to meet the DSA’s mandates.
The new measures exemplify Google’s response to the increasingly stringent online content rules in Europe, reflecting a broader industry trend towards greater accountability and transparency.
