Google and YouTube are warned by EU officials over Hamas-Israel disinformation and graphic content

In its latest probe into Big Tech's war handling, the European Commission warned Google and YouTube on Friday over misleading and graphic content related to the Hamas-Israel conflict.

European Commissioner Thierry Breton reminded Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan of their content moderation duties under the EU's Digital Services Act in a letter. On X, Breton shared the letter.

Google must keep graphic content like hostage videos away from underage users, act quickly when authorities report content that violates European regulations, and combat disinformation, according to Breton.

Breton added, “This brings me to a second area of pressing concern: tackling disinformation in the context of elections, a priority which we personally discussed when we met in Brussels in May,” referring to EU elections.

After sending identical letters to Twitter, Meta, and TikTok this week, Breton issued his warning.

Breton's letter to Google does not expressly accuse the business of spreading deceptive or unlawful content, unlike earlier letters. Breton had requested select Google employees to answer to his letter within 24 hours, while Friday's letter only seeks a report “in a prompt, accurate and complete manner.”

YouTube spokeswoman Ivy Choi said the firm is continuously removing objectionable videos.

“After the devastating attacks on Israeli civilians and the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza, our teams have removed thousands of harmful videos, and our systems continue to connect people with high-quality news and information,” Choi added. “Our teams are monitoring harmful footage 24/7 and taking action quickly across YouTube, including videos, Shorts, and livestreams.”