Google Vows More Transparency on Ads as New EU Rules Kick In – Google announced that it will provide additional information regarding targeted ads and increase data accessibility for researchers to align with significant European Union online content regulations. The Alphabet (GOOGL.O) division revealed this initiative on Thursday.
Referred to as the Digital Services Act (DSA), these fresh regulations place a greater burden on companies such as Meta Platforms (META.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O), Twitter now X, booking.com (BKNG.O), Pinterest (PINS.N), Snap Inc’s (SNAP.N) Snapchat, Wikipedia, Zalando (ZALG.DE), and Alibaba’s (9988.HK) AliExpress due to their extensive user bases.
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Set to come into effect on Friday, the Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that companies take more robust measures to combat child sexual abuse material and disinformation. Moreover, they are required to enhance transparency concerning their algorithmic operations, bots, and targeted advertising.
The act also stipulates that these companies must promptly eliminate illegal, hazardous, or counterfeit products that are being offered for sale on their platforms. This comprehensive regulatory framework aims to foster a safer and more trustworthy digital environment while holding online platforms accountable for the content and products they host.
“We will be expanding the Ads Transparency Center, a global searchable repository of advertisers across all our platforms, to meet specific DSA provisions and providing additional information on targeting for ads served in the European Union,” Google’s vice president for trust and safety, Laurie Richardson, said in a blogpost.
“We will increase data access for researchers looking to understand more about how Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Play and Shopping work in practice, and conducting research related to understanding systemic content risks in the EU,” she stressed. The American tech behemoth will additionally enhance transparency surrounding its content moderation choices.
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It will offer users varied methods to get in touch with the company and revamp its procedures for reporting and appeals. These changes will involve furnishing specific details and context about the decisions made by the company. The company is set to introduce a novel Transparency Center, allowing individuals to access information regarding its policies on a product-specific basis.
