Google is very sorry for pulling down COVID misinfo and pledges never to use outside fact-checkers

https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/24/google_reinstates_covid_misinfo_spreaders/

313 points · 31 comments · view on lemmy.world

31 Comments

Embargo@lemmy.zip · 62 pts · 349d (3 replies)

COVID is NOT a political issue. It's an existential issue. With this, Google has just stated that it is completely fine to be a platform for insanely dangerous propaganda. Fuck this place. Has anyone caught wind of when these demons are moving to Earth 2 to leave us the fuck alone?

tehn00bi@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 348d

They will make sure the earth is basically Wall-E before they leave though.

hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 347d

Earth 2? What do you think they want Greenland for?

blargh513@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 348d

I appreciate the sentiment, but the reality is that people have to stop using it.

No more google search, no more gmail, no more android, no more youtube, no more google maps.

I have largely stopped using their services, and its a pain. Getting the majority to stop using them? I just dont know how much worse they can be and yet people still use it.

Fyrnyx@kbin.melroy.org · 57 pts · 349d (2 replies)
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SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 36 pts · 349d (1 reply)

I mean I'd wager it's more simple than that, really.

"Look, we have to stop denying these available revenue streams especially when they produce more money than facts and verifiable information. We're just leaving money on the table, damn it! Who cares about the consequences as long as we can increase profits!"

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 12 pts · 349d

Occam's Razor confirms this.

No additional assumptions required, just normal revenue seeking.

Misspelledusernme@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 349d

Note. The government requested YouTube to take down content, YouTube decided that the content didn't violate their policies, and made an independent decision.

They say so in (8) in the letter (PDF)

This is not the same as the FCC threatening ABC with their license.

foggy@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 349d (15 replies)

De-Google

There's load of walkthroughs.

Turret3857@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 348d
StrongHorseWeakNeigh@piefed.social · -5 pts · 349d (13 replies)
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aislopmukbang@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 349d (1 reply)
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StrongHorseWeakNeigh@piefed.social · 2 pts · 349d
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Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 348d (5 replies)

You seem under the impression everyone uses an iphone and a hotmail account

StrongHorseWeakNeigh@piefed.social · 0 pts · 348d (4 replies)
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Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 348d (3 replies)

Step 1: Download duckduckgo

Step 2: There is no step 2. You are done.

StrongHorseWeakNeigh@piefed.social · 0 pts · 348d (2 replies)
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Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 348d (1 reply)

Literally what are you even on about

Where in this entire thread have I made a single assumption about anything like that

Or do you just have excessive posterior communication disorder

StrongHorseWeakNeigh@piefed.social · 0 pts · 348d
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ryannathans@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 349d (3 replies)

Except for the operating system on the phone

StrongHorseWeakNeigh@piefed.social · -1 pts · 349d (2 replies)
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mcv@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 348d

It does, and it includes a browser, which is slightly annoying because I was already using Firefox. Not sure which one is better, actually.

ryannathans@aussie.zone · 0 pts · 348d

Yeah was pretty fab last time I used it

foggy@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 349d

That's the most naive gateway to truth I've read in the modern era.

But... Yes.

krooklochurm@lemmy.ca · 18 pts · 348d

Google should go fuck itself.

Fuck useless pile of shit masquerading as a company. I flush more useful things down the toilet every time I take a shit.

Deceptichum@quokk.au · 15 pts · 349d (8 replies)
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deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 5 pts · 349d (6 replies)

There's enough money to be made in any market to have them grease the right palms in government to ensure that never happens.

DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 348d (5 replies)

Depends on the government. I don't think that shit would fly in the Swedish government.

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 3 pts · 348d

I would have thought the same for New Zealand too. Our current government is shamefully cheap to donate to.

ZC3rr0r@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 348d (3 replies)

And what makes you think that? SD (the Swedish equivalent of MAGA and the descendants of the Nazi party) pulled in over 20% of the vote last time and the right-wing parties making up the coalition have all shown to be more than willing to cater to SD's base (edit: Although, to be fair, that's also because they have a confidence and supply agreement with the SD).

DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 348d (2 replies)

Do you have anything to support that SD is taking bribes or are willing to take bribes? Or that they have a close relationship with tech companies? Personally I wouldn't compare SD to the MAGA movement. Maybe AfS, but not SD.

ZC3rr0r@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 347d (1 reply)

I mean the xenophobia alone allows one to draw parallels, but here's an example of the party harbouring the same wildly unscientific COVID vaccine stances and unscientific claims in their ranks: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/5Ey2eW/obehorig-sd-politiker-i-riksdagens-kammare

And thanks for reminding me of the existence of AfS, it truly takes something extraordinary to be too extreme for SD to the point of getting kicked out and starting your own splinter fraction.

DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 347d

Sure, they share some opinions, but I see no evidence that he's getting paid to be a vaccine sceptic. I can only assume that's what he truly believes.

LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 348d

Wish we could get a class action lawsuit and sue Alphabet for pushing misinformation into our homes and spreading dangerous information that will kill people. Say $1,000 per person, and sue for $347 billion, or w.e the population is now. The MAGA people can choose to not cash their checks if they want. And I'm sure Google would gladly show that 99% of the population did, which would prompt the other 1% to do so.

JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 348d

This about that headline for a moment. GOOGLE doesn't have enough information to fact check misinformation. Instead they need to rely on an outside fact checker.

iAvicenna@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 348d

ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 348d

If you’re that fucking dumb, you shouldn’t have people’s information

devolution@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 348d

Fuck Google. Fuck meta. Fuck big tech!

Shamber@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 348d

Apparently, issuing an apology or claiming a mistake, is the new get out of jail free card, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO...and that Apparently goes for any tech giant, Yellow media platforms, or wait for it...Countries..gotta love what the world turned into

AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 348d

I wonder what's next... Flat earth? Chemtrails? I guess paracetamol is a given.