Pakistan prepares for its National election on February 8, Google reaffirms its commitment to fostering election integrity. The tech giant aims to assist voters by providing credible information and ensuring platform safety in collaboration with government, industry, and civil society.
Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Country Director for Pakistan, emphasizes the significance of supporting elections and connecting users to relevant information. Google’s efforts include employing product features across platforms like Google Search, YouTube, and Google Trends to facilitate easy access to trustworthy data on voting processes.
Google Search utilizes ranking systems to elevate authoritative information, offering context on various election-related topics. The Google homepage will feature direct links guiding voters on ‘how to vote’ and ‘how to register to vote.’
On YouTube, Google’s recommendation system prominently showcases content from authoritative sources, ensuring users receive high-quality election news and information. The company also employs Google Trends, launching a dedicated page to help the media and public explore voters’ concerns, top queries, and election-related topics.
In preparation for the election, Google initiated workshops through the Google News Initiative, empowering journalists with resources for informed coverage. Topics covered included news verification, digital security, and effective use of Google Trends.
Farhan Qureshi emphasizes the company’s commitment to protecting election integrity by implementing long-standing policies across Google and YouTube. These policies address hate speech, harassment, incitement to violence, manipulated content, and election misinformation.
YouTube, a key platform for election-related content, removes violative content using a combination of machine learning and human reviewers. Between July and September 2023, over 8.1 million videos and 10 million channels globally were removed for violating community guidelines.
Qureshi concludes, “Election integrity is a top priority for YouTube, striking a balance between protecting the community and fostering diverse viewpoints. Google remains dedicated to ensuring a secure and informative election process in Pakistan.”