ProPublica, the first internet news organization to win journalism’s most prestigious award, the Plitzer, investigated Google for spreading misinformation. According to the results that may not come as a surprise to Internet users in Turkey, Google “to turn spreading misinformation into a profitable business” contributes.

According to the results of the survey summarized by the news and information verification platform Teyit.org, the situation in Turkey is more dire.

Turkey was the country with the highest percentage of ‘publishers making money from Google ads while giving false information’: so what does this mean?

Google personalized ads are one of the top revenue streams for most websites. Google ads, which you can see on the page you are reading this line, also have a huge macroeconomic effect that drives the flow of money in the global internet ecosystem. According to ProPublica’s research, those who publish non-English part of the Google ads on sites that spread misinformation It ranges from 30% to 90%.

According to data from Teyit.org, which was also included in ProPublica’s research, 45 of the 50 websites in Turkey that disseminated false information contained Google ads. This is Turkey with a percentage of 90%, the summit on the spread of disinformation on the internet to wear. After Turkey, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are on the list with 87%; Brazil with 80%, Spain with 44%, Latin America with 38% and German-speaking countries with 30%.

Disinformation makes money in Turkey: Google takes no action despite current photo and all phone calls…

According to Datareportal’s research and Teyit.org’s statement, Turkish ranks fourth among the languages ​​in which the most content is produced on the Internet. Despite this, no concrete steps are seen from Google to reduce the spread of fake news and false information.

Emre Kızılkaya, vice president of the Vienna-based International Press Institute and investigative journalist, told Teyit that disinformation makes money and propaganda works in Turkey.

Editor’s note: Does the Social Media Act provide a solution for this?

Although “Is something happening to me?” by users. Social Media Law – as it stands – even though individual conclusions are drawn and criticized as “legally ambiguous”; on the Web ensure the dissemination of the correct information has the purpose. This law, in which people and websites who feel obliged to inform, are recognized as a media organization for the first time, can also be seen as a precaution against possible false news from these people and organizations.

Incidentally, there are doubts about the implementation phase of the law, because the question “what information on the basis of whom and according to what will be qualified as true or false” cannot be clearly defined. However, the law is directed against the person, institution and platforms that allow the dissemination of this information. ad blocking and bandwidth limitation including sanctions. However, the fact that misinformation publishers monetizing Google ads in Turkey reach an astronomical 90% shows that a potential ad-blocking or bandwidth-throttling fine will seriously harm the Internet economy in Turkey. In short, the decision makers in our country are faced with an economy of disinformation that permeates an entire industry.

Finally, let’s say that 193 billion TL of Google’s 476 billion TL contribution to the Turkish economy in 2021 was provided by advertising tools.