Google is expanding its ads transparency center to comply with EU rules

Regarding ads transparency, the company says that it will be “expanding” its Ads Transparency Center to “meet specific DSA provisions and providing additional information on targeting for ads served in the European Union,” Google’s Laurie Richardson and Jennifer Flannery O’Connor write in the post. The center, which Google launched earlier this year, is a searchable repository that lets you find out more about the ads you see on Google’s platforms.

For researchers, the two execs say that Google is “expanding data access for researchers” who might be “looking to understand more about how Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Play and Shopping work in practice, and conducting research related to understanding systemic content risks in the EU.”

The company is also expanding transparency in a few other areas, including another Transparency Center to learn about the company’s policies, including more information about content moderation in its transparency reports, and sharing risk assessments “related to our largest online platforms and our search engine in line with DSA requirements.”

Google is one of many big tech companies that has made changes recently to comply with the DSA, which makes tech companies more accountable for the content on their platforms. Instagram announced that it would be adding a chronological feed for Reels and Stories, for example — but only in Europe. And TikTok users in Europe will be able to opt-out of the personalized algorithms for its For You and Live feeds.