Google unveils strategies to support elections in Pakistan

KARACHI: To assist through the democratic process during Pakistan’s upcoming general elections on February 8, Google has shared details on how its products can assist voters, as stated in a press release.

Highlighting its commitment to collaborating with the government, industry, and civil society, Google expressed the importance of connecting voters with credible information while safeguarding its platforms from misuse. The company emphasised its dedication to offering useful and relevant information to guide users through the electoral process.

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According to Google, its search engine is tailored to amplify authoritative information, providing users with context on various election-related topics. The Google homepage will feature links guiding voters to credible information on ‘how to vote’ and ‘how to register to vote’.

On YouTube, Google assured users that its recommendation system will prominently showcase content and context from authoritative sources, including local and national news outlets, facilitating access to high-quality election news. Additionally, Google Trends will aid the media and the public in exploring voter concerns by highlighting top queries, topics, and party-related interests.

Under the ‘News Initiative,’ Google conducted workshops to equip journalists with resources for informed news coverage, covering topics such as news verification, digital security, and utilising Google Trends.

Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Country Director for Pakistan, stated, “Our efforts leading up to the election focus on connecting Pakistanis to relevant election-related information online. We have also invested in the news ecosystem, training journalists to report credible news. Recently, we launched a Google Trends Pakistan General Election page to assist the media in accessing data for their stories.”

Addressing concerns about content violations on YouTube, Google revealed that it removed over 8.1 million videos and 10 million channels globally between July and September 2023, employing a combination of machine learning and human reviewers to identify and eliminate policy-violating content.

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Qureshi stressed YouTube’s commitment to maintaining election integrity, removing violative content promptly through a balance of machine learning and human review. He stated, “Our goal is to protect our community from harm while fostering a diversity of viewpoints on YouTube.”