Google to expand ‘disinformation’ campaign in Europe

Google is expanding its campaign against what it calls online “disinformation,” and will roll out ads in Germany aimed at “prebunking” content it disagrees with. Tested in Poland last year, the ads are the product of a Google research unit formed to combat “threats to open societies.”

The tech giant will release a series of videos identifying apparent misinformation techniques and release them on multiple platforms in Germany, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, the Associated Press reported on Monday. The ads will focus on photos and videos, and the ease with which both can be manipulated, the news agency noted.

The concept of fighting the techniques behind alleged disinformation rather than the information itself is called “prebunking,” and was developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Jigsaw, Google’s in-house…