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Google pauses enforcement of Play Store billing requirement in India following antitrust order
TechCrunchDec 24, 2022
The Facts
Google subsidiary Jigsaw will launch an anti-misinformation campaign in India to address "fake news," often blamed for inciting political and religious tensions. It will use "prebunking" videos on its YouTube and other social media platforms to alert viewers of allegedly false claims before they spread.
Following a recent experiment by the search engine in Europe to combat anti-refugee sentiment in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the India campaign will be bigger in scope, dealing with three languages — Bengali, Hindi, and Marathi — and cover a population of 1B people.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
When google curates or censors information online, it's not doing so for the good of humanity but to strengthen its grip on the information and advertising market. The citizens of every country need to stand up and call for government crackdowns on such abuses of power while simultaneously propping up smaller tech companies that don't track what you say and to whom you say it.
Pro-establishment narrative
As the leading global search engine, Google has a responsibility to work alongside each and every society it impacts. When radicalizing and hateful information spreads, national unity is at risk, which is why de-escalating programs like this are necessary. Diverse countries around the world are trying to bring people together in a time of fierce division, and Big Tech has the tools and duty to make a difference.
