New Delhi: Ahead of assembly elections in five states and Lok Sabha polls next year, Google Thursday said it is working on measures to bring "greater transparency" in political advertising on its platforms.
The move comes amidst growing scrutiny tech companies are facing globally on issues ranging from concerns about market dominance and their online platforms being used to peddle fake or incorrect news. The US is considering a law requiring companies like Facebook and Google to disclose information about sponsors of political ads on their sites, including how much they're spending and what audiences the ads are focusing on.
"We are in the early stages of finalising measures that will bring greater transparency to political advertising on our platforms," a Google spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said as the measures are still in the works, the company will share more details on the political ads policy for India once finalised.
The spokesperson emphasised that the company will support Election Commission of India in its efforts on integrity of polls.
Representatives from Google as well as other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have met officials from the Election Commission to discuss the role they can play in the run-up to elections.