The figure was released in a report titled: How Google Fights Piracy, a report that the British Phonographic Industry described as a "greenwash." It says the firm remains "one of the key enablers of piracy on the planet" and had the expertise to do better.

The term greenwashing is typically used to attack disinformation used by organisations to make out they are more eco-friendly than they actually are. The BPI said it felt the term best captured the situation.

Google launched Content ID in 2014, a program which allows rights holders to detect copyright infringement and either block it or make money from ads attached to the clips. Google says more than 95% of users choose to monetise, rather than block the content.

The music industry has long claimed Google's anti-piracy tactics are ineffective.