In a world where the internet has become easily accessible to billions of people globally, the risk of the spread of fake news has become much higher. As more people have the ability to share breaking news, the role of news editors has evolved. The role of the media as watchdog has been transformed, with more people now able to create stories and share them online without the necessary verification that is required.
Internet companies have come under scrutiny in recent months for their role in the spread of fake news.
Tech giant Google looks set to fight back against the spread of fake news through Google Fact Check.
What is Google Fact Check?
This is a feature that makes it easier when fact-checking.
This can be quite challenging in a number of ways, but Google emphasises that it does not do the actual fact-checking.
Google is not checking the facts, but facts are “presented so people can make more informed judgements”.
“Even though differing conclusions may be presented, we think it’s still helpful for people to understand the degree of consensus around a particular claim and have clear information on which sources agree,” Google explained in a blog post.
If you are searching for facts in Google Search, you will now regularly see information from sites like Politifact or Snopes that will prominently appear on the page.
With Google Fact Check, Not only do users get the actual claim, but they can also see who claimed it and get it fact-checked by a credible source.
This move is likely to go a long way towards the dissolution of fake news. Credible sources will play a major role in the spread of news and ensuring that only the facts are reported.