Google to back central European digital media observatory led by Charles University

Charles University, as the principal investigator of the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), a centre for research on information disorders in Central Europe, today signed a partnership and cooperation agreement with Google. CEDMO will provide financial support of one million euros to the project, which is dedicated to research on information disorders (e.g. misinformation, disinformation) in the Central European area. CEDMO will use the money to strengthen and expand research and raise the level of media and digital skills in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.

The support for the CEDMO research hub is part of Google's commitment to actively combat the spread of disinformation in the online space of our region, especially those related to the war in Ukraine. Last March, the company committed more than CZK 245 million to this initiative.

“Thanks to the cooperation with the private sector, led by Google, Charles University as the principal investigator of the CEDMO project can expand the research field of information disorders to Slovakia or Poland, so that the results can be applied in the entire Central European area. We also want to strengthen the research on the impact of artificial intelligence applications in the digital media ecosystem and to continue the cooperation with the E-Safety project of Palacký University in strengthening various types of literacy that eliminate the impact of information disorders on society," said Václav Moravec, CEDMO's chief coordinator.

As many as 27% of Czechs fear that they are regularly exposed to misinformation, 59% say they encounter it occasionally and only about 13% of respondents think they do not encounter it at all. This was revealed in a September survey by IPSOS, in cooperation with CEDMO. Only 68% of Czechs questioned whether the information they received was true. These results undeniably confirm the importance of combating information disorders in our region.

CEDMO's support for the centre follows last year's commitment by Google and YouTube to fight misinformation on the internet. Specifically in the Czech Republic, Google supported the fact-checking platform Demagog.cz so that its affiliates in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland can better collaborate and maximize their contribution in the region. The Czech Press Office has trained over 100 local journalists and students in fact-checking and the use of technology for information discovery thanks to Google's support.

"The management of Charles University is committed to harnessing the potential of its very broad academic environment to combat the various types of information disorders. Similarly, it is committed to combating this problem in its third role as an institution acting on the public and the general cultivation of society. The University can offer a wide range of experts also according to specific topics. It is gratifying that researchers from the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University have newly joined the CEDMO research project," said the Rector of Charles University Milena Králíčková.

To support fact-checking across Europe, Google has provided a grant of 2.5 million to TechSoup Europe, which will help NGOs working in the field of countering disinformation to expand and scale their work using technology. On a global scale, Google supported the International Fact Checking Network, an organization of 135 fact-checking organizations across 65 countries, with $13.2 million.