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Tag: Google

  • Here’s How Google & YouTube will Support the Philippine Elections

    As part of an ongoing commitment to connect voters to timely information and help protect the integrity of the Philippines elections, Google and YouTube announced a series of product features, partnerships, and programs. 

    Raising authoritative election information 

    As Election Day approaches, millions of people in the Philippines will be turning to YouTube to get the latest election news, and learn more about candidates and the voting process. To connect people to authoritative election-related information, YouTube provides a variety of Election Information Panels:

    ●      Candidate information panel: When YouTube viewers in the Philippines search for the names of President and Vice President candidates, a relevant candidate information panel will show at the top of their search results. This panel highlights information on the candidates, such as their political party and what office they’re running for. Information about candidates and parties is sourced from vetted, non-partisan, third-party sources.

    ●      How to vote information panel: To help people learn more about the voting process,an information panel surfaces on YouTube for all searches pertaining to “how to vote”. These panels will link to the Commissions on Elections’ (COMELEC) website featuring relevant materials, requirements, and the step-by-step of the voting process.

    Google

    This is part of the existing portfolio of features that YouTube has rolled out in the country, aimed at raising authoritative information. These include Top News and Breaking News shelves for fast-moving, breaking news events; information panels that indicate funding sources from publishers that receive public or government funding; and information panels giving topical context that links to third party sources such as Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica, for videos on a number of well-established topics that can be prone to misinformation including the Holocaust, the Apollo moon landing, and Martial Law in the Philippines. 

    Speaking about the election information panels in the country, Emily Moxley, Vice President for Product Management at YouTube said, “Political news and events can be subject to misinformation, so the availability of authoritative information sources is crucial. Over the last few years, we’ve made deep investments to make YouTube a more reliable source for news, while also maintaining the openness of the platform. Our work is ongoing and we are committed to making YouTube a vibrant and safe community for a healthy political discourse as well as help protect the integrity of elections.”

    Removing election-related violative content & reducing harmful misinformation 

    YouTube’s Community Guidelines apply equally to everyone. From February 2021 to January 2022, the platform removed over 400,000 videos uploaded from the Philippines for Community Guidelines. YouTube elections misinformation policies prohibit content that: 

    ●      Misleads voters about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting, or false claims that could materially discourage voting

    ●      Advances false claims related to the technical eligibility requirements for current political candidates and sitting elected government officials to serve in office

    ●      Encourages others to interfere with democratic processes

    ●      Contains hacked information, the disclosure of which may interfere with democratic processes

    In addition, YouTube’s systems are designed to limit the spread of borderline content and harmful misinformation. Today, consumption of borderline content that comes from its recommendations is significantly below 1% globally.

    Supporting fact-checking initiatives

    The Google News Initiative (GNI) supports Meedan’s #FactsFirstPH, a coalition of more than 100 groups, including news organizations such as Rappler, civil society organizations, business groups, faith-based communities, research groups, and legal organizations to fight misinformation ahead of the Philippine elections. The GNI has also partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) to launch a journalist training series and provided support to tsek.ph, a collaborative fact-checking project led by UP. 

    Investing in media literacy programs 

    Google has been investing in and supporting local media literacy programs to teach people how to identify trusted information. These include the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication’s “a day in the life” video series and training for news literacy, and CANVAS’ #YOUTHink magazine. Google.org also made a grant of $1.5 million to help the ASEAN Foundation expand media literacy education in ASEAN member communities including the Philippines. The ASEAN Foundation has also developed a digital literacy comic book available in Filipino.

    “Fighting misinformation is important to Google and it takes the whole of society working together to address it. We will continue to forge meaningful partnerships with the media and community groups to help people access the right information so they can make an informed vote in the upcoming elections,” said Irene Jay Liu, Google APAC News Lab Lead.

    “Part of COMELEC’s mission is to empower voters with accurate, relevant and timely information. We laud Google for taking the important steps in helping Filipinos access authoritative information that is essential for an informed electorate,” said James Jimenez, Commissions on Elections Director for Education and Information. 

  • WATCH: Ben&Ben ‘Mag-Ingat’ MV to Promote Internet Safety

    Google, together with Filipino folk pop band Ben&Ben launches a new song to promote internet safety and digital responsibility. Entitled “Mag-Ingat” (Be Safe Online), the song is part of Google’s commitment to helping Filipinos use the internet safely and responsibly. 

    The two-and-a-half minute Filipino song addresses online threats today including scams, misinformation, and catfishing, and the importance of critical thinking and verifying information using trusted sources to protect oneself and others. It also reminds netizens to be wary of bad actors who lurk in the online space, just like in the real world. 

    This newest single from the young band ends strongly with a bridge conveying that online safety is a shared responsibility–people are all stewards of the digital world. It’s all in the hands of netizens to use the internet right and care for the online safety of one another. 

    The catchy and lively tune was written and performed by Ben&Ben, the Philippines’ #1 local artist of 2021. The award-winning nine-piece act is known for mixing Filipino folk music with pop to create songs about hope, love, and positivity. 

    WATCH:

    “Filipinos are highly social people and most of us interact with one another digitally. In such a world, it’s no wonder that while the internet brings so many advantages, it also opens us up to many dangers if we are not careful enough. With ‘Mag-ingat,’ we wanted to use our music to spread awareness on such a timely and important issue–because all of us are responsible for making sure that the internet is a safe and positive space for everyone,” said Miguel Benjamin of Ben&Ben.

    “Internet safety is so important to Google. Beyond tools, products, and policies that enable us to help people stay safe online, we deepen our local partnerships to promote digital responsibility. By partnering with Ben&Ben and through their music, we believe that we can teach internet safety to more people in a way that deeply resonates with and becomes part of their everyday lives,” said Mervin Wenke, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Google Philippines. 

    Google’s holistic approach to digital responsibility is helping millions of people to stay safe in the online space. Aside from security measures including the two-step verification process, and security and password checkups, it also introduced programs such as Be Internet Awesome with the Department of Education, and supported NGO campaigns like the Cyberpeace initiative of Teach Peace Build Peace Movement. 

    “We thank Google for being a steadfast partner in promoting and upholding the digital safety of Filipinos, and Ben&Ben for creating an anthem that will remind every Filipino who listens to it to ‘mag-ingat’ and take steps into becoming responsible netizens,” said Atty. John Henry Naga, National Privacy Commissioner. 

    The “Mag-ingat” music video is already available on Ben&Ben’s official YouTube channel. “Mag-ingat” is also available on all digital music services worldwide.