Google has pledged to support the upcoming Thai general election on May 14, affirming its commitment to providing Thais with the necessary tools to participate and stay informed about the democratic process.
Google said efforts will focus on helping voters access unbiased and authoritative information related to the election. Google’s search results, recommendations, and information panels will promote high-quality information from credible sources, while YouTube’s affiliated news outlets and breaking news sections will highlight quality journalism.
Google has launched a Thailand General Election page on Google Trends to facilitate easy access to relevant data for the media and general public. The company is also working to combat misinformation by training journalists and newsrooms on reporting credible and authoritative news ahead of the election cycle. Google’s News Initiative (GNI) has collaborated with Cofact, Sure and Share, AFP Thailand, and Punch Up to host a workshop for Thai journalists to equip them with digital tools and essential technical skills needed for election coverage.
Furthermore, Google has policies in place to address misinformation, including election misinformation, Covid-19 medical misinformation, and vaccine misinformation, on its platforms. The company has also implemented the Advanced Protection Program and Project Shield, a free service that uses Google technology to protect news sites from Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks on the web.
Mukpim Anantachai, Head of YouTube Partnerships for Thailand and Vietnam, emphasized that YouTube is committed to election integrity and is working to ensure that the right policies and systems are in place to support the election. She added that YouTube aims to maintain a balance between protecting its community from harmful content and enabling a diversity of viewpoints to thrive. (NNT)
