Google has announced its plans to update certain service policies in order to comply with the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), as revealed in an August 24 blog post. The tech giant mentioned that it has invested significantly in various areas to align with the specific requirements of the DSA.
In order to meet the regulations set out by the DSA, Google intends to expand its Advertising Transparency Center, enhance researchers' access to data and transparency studies, improve content moderation visibility, establish a new transparency center for its policies, and carry out more in -depth risk analysis.
The blog post also highlighted Google's concerns about the potential unintended consequences of these measures. The company worries that providing excessive information about its enforcement methods might make it easier for malicious actors to misuse its services and disseminate harmful misinformation.
The European Union's Digital Services Act aims to consolidate content regulation throughout the region and develop a more precise review process for online content. It categorizes certain online platforms as "Very Large Online Platforms" (VLOPs) and "Very Large Online Sear ch Engines" (VLOSEs ), and outlines general requirements for these categories. These include removing illegal content, prohibiting targeted advertising based on personal characteristics, and sharing data with researchers and authorities.
Google is labeled as a VLOSE alongside Bing Search, and both entities are expected to fulfill their DSA obligations by August 28. While some Reddit users view these regulations as necessary to keep large tech companies accountable, others perceive them as restrictions on free speech. TikTok has also stated its readiness for compliance with the DSA regulations, outlining various steps it has taken to align with the requirements and enhance user safety.
Despite these efforts towards compliance, Google faced allegations of tracking children's data through advertisements, which the company addressed in another blog post on August 21.
