Google and YouTube rollout efforts for reliable Eleksyon 2025 information

Here's how to make sure you are well-informed this election.

Google, YouTube, COMELEC 2025 Philippine Midterm Election

Know the facts before casting your vote

The 2025 midterm election is fast approaching, and here's how Google and YouTube are doing their part to ensure voters can access reliable information online.

When a viewer searches for something related to a 2025 senatorial candidate on YouTube, an information panel will appear above the search results that highlights the candidate's information. This could include their political party and a click-through to Google Search to learn more.

On Election Day, YouTube viewers will find a prominent shelf on the homepage showcasing live coverage from authoritative news organizations. This shelf will feature streams in both English and Filipino, enabling viewers to follow the election news and results as they unfold. 

Furthermore, on May 12, the Commission on Elections' (COMELEC) "How to vote" playlist will be promoted on YouTube, providing Filipinos with relevant materials, requirements, and a step-by-step guide to voting.

On Search, Google’s ranking systems are designed to elevate authoritative information and provide context to voters on a variety of election-related information.

To ensure integrity and security, YouTube has Community Guidelines that determine what is not allowed on the platform and apply to all content, regardless of language, how it is generated, or political viewpoint, position, or affiliation.

As more people use AI-generated content, Google and YouTube have introduced policies and tools to help people navigate this, including content labels on YouTube. For content about elections, viewers will see when a label is applied directly to the video player. These labels are applied regardless of the creator, political viewpoints, or language.

There is also the "About this Image" in Search that helps people assess the credibility and context of images found online. The double-check feature in Gemini evaluates whether there is content across the web to substantiate its response.

Google is committed to finding ways to ensure every image generated through its products has embedded watermarking with DeepMind’s SynthID.

Google and YouTube also joined the C2PA coalition and standard, a global cross-industry effort to help provide more transparency and context for people on AI-generated content.

For media organizations, Google trains the press to leverage AI technology through AI Workshops. This program equips publishers, editors, and business leaders at news organizations with the knowledge and tools to experiment with and learn about generative AI, using a structured framework with guidance from AI experts and industry mentors.

Google and YouTube will not allow political ads during the election cycle. Instead, the company is supporting the COMELEC and media literacy efforts to ensure voters can access useful, trustworthy information across its platforms.

Such efforts include entering into partnerships with organizations like CANVAS in creating a media literacy magazine called YOUTHink. YOUTHink has been adapted for various regions in the Philippines, publishing in several languages including Filipino, Cebuano, and Ilocano.

Furthermore, Google extended its support to COMELEC through specialized training workshops.

These include detailed Google's strategies for safeguarding elections on its platforms, best practices from YouTube to ensure platform safety during critical periods, and a thorough walkthrough of the reporting tools available to government partners.

This election, remember to do your research first before shading the circles on your ballots.

What do you think, guys?