Google is ready to add a fact-checking tag to search results globally, to help curb the
spread of misinformation and ”fake news,” the company said on Friday.
The new tags, to be used in all languages for users worldwide, will use third-party fact-checkers to indicate whether news items are true, false or somewhere in-
between.
How it works
”For the first time, when you conduct a search on Google that returns an authoritative result containing fact checks for one or more public claims, you will see
that information clearly on the search results page,” Google said in a blog post.
The google blog post explained that the snippet will display information on the claim, who made the claim, and the fact
check of that particular claim.
It however added that the information will not be available for every search result, and
there may be conflicting conclusions in some cases.
”These fact checks are not Google’s and are presented so people can make more informed judgments,” the blog post added.
Partners and inspiration
The internet company has worked with 115 fact-checking groups worldwide for the
initiative, which began last year.
The move came a day after Facebook added a new tool in news feeds to help users
determine whether shared stories are real or bogus.
Fake news became a serious issue in last year’s US election campaign, when clearly
fraudulent stories circulated on social media, potentially swaying some voters.
Concerns have been raised since then about hoaxes and misinformation affecting
elections in Europe this year, with
investigations showing how ”click farms” generate revenue from online advertising using made-up news stories.
