Google, FB agree EU ‘fake news’ code

Brussels : Major tech companies including Facebook and Google agreed yesterday on a code of conduct to combat online disinformation in the European Union, although critics said the commitments were too weak. In addition, companies agreed that the source of adverts should be clearly labelled and also agreed to closer scrutiny of ad content disseminated on platforms.

They will also track the misuse of automated bots to distribute fake news and expand the possibility for users to lodge complaints about suspect posts. EU Digital Economy Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said the commitment was “a step in the right direction”, but also called for further efforts by Silicon Valley giants.