Google plans to announce a new social media campaign aimed at combating disinformation, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The campaign, set to be unveiled this week, will reportedly teach users how to recognize false claims via a method known as "prebunking," which means spotting misinformation before consuming it.
The campaign will feature a series of short highlight videos that will be posted on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, among others. The focus will be on misinformation related to vaccines, propaganda, and incitement of violence.
Beth Goldberg, Head of Research and Development at Jigsaw (a Google company), said in a statement: "Using ads as a vehicle to counter a disinformation technique is pretty novel. And we’re excited about the results."
This campaign is another move by Big Tech companies to prevent alleged disinformation on social media platforms, as well as beef up their aggressive censorship capabilities.
As well as addressing misinformation related to vaccines, propaganda, and violence, the campaign will also focus on false information related to climate change, gun control, and immigration. The stated aim l is to prevent users from spreading false information to others.
The prebunking campaign was tested in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in August with positive results, the company said. The campaign will also launch before this week's Munich Security Conference, which focuses on foreign policy and media security.
Alex Mahadevan, Director of MediaWise, told the AP: "It's a pretty efficient way to address misinformation at scale because you can reach a lot of people while at the same time address a wide range of misinformation."
