Comelec, Google, YouTube join forces for credible elections

Search engine platform Google Philippines and its social media and online video sharing arm, YouTube, have aired support for clean and safe elections by taking proactive steps to connect voters to reliable information online.

In a statement on Friday, the firms said that 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.

The technology firms said that on Election Day, YouTube viewers will find a prominent shelf on the homepage showcasing live coverage from authoritative news organizations, featuring streams in both English and Filipino, enabling viewers to follow the election news and results as they unfold.

Furthermore, on this coming Monday, the Commission on Elections’ “How to vote” playlist will be promoted on YouTube, providing Filipinos with relevant materials, requirements, and a step-by-step guide to voting.

On the other hand, Google, in its On Search, its ranking systems are designed to elevate authoritative information and provide context to voters on a variety of election-related information.

Protection from abuse

The companies said protecting the integrity of elections also means keeping Google and YouTube products safe from abuse, enforcing its long-standing policies to keep its platforms safe, and these apply to everyone and for all types of content, including elections.

YouTube’s Community Guidelines 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.

Content that misleads voters on how to vote or encourages interference in the democratic process is prohibited on YouTube. YouTube quickly removes content that incites violence, encourages hatred, promotes harmful conspiracy theories, or threatens election workers.

Based on the latest Transparency Report, it showed that the Philippines ranked 8th globally for videos removed for violating YouTube policies (over 153,000) between October and December 2024. Repeated violations of YouTube’s policies could lead to channel termination.

Navigating AI-generated content

As more people interact with AI-generated content, Google and YouTube have introduced policies and tools to help people navigate this, including content labels on YouTube, providing voters with additional context, digital watermarking, and industry collaboration.

For media organizations, Google trains the press to leverage AI technology through AI Workshops, a program that 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.

Lessons and insights from the workshop can be applied to election news coverage.

"Supporting the elections is important to Google and YouTube. As Filipinos prepare for the May 12 elections, we are committed to robust collaboration with the government, industry, media, and civil society. Together, we will help ensure that voters have access to authoritative information and safeguard our platforms from abuse," said Yves Gonzalez, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations at Google Philippines.

"A well-informed electorate is fundamental to Comelec's mission for credible elections. We thank and commend Google for their continued, valuable contributions in ensuring Filipinos have accessible and reliable election information online, empowering them to make informed choices for the midterm elections," said George Erwin Mojica Garcia, chairperson of the Comelec.