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Google rolled out Fact Check to filter the fake in search result

In the recent time, fake news, stories, and fraudulent websites have proliferated. Fabricated stories being presented as truth is now doing rounds. Misleading information, satire, incomplete facts, propaganda, hoaxes have been in existence since coon’s age. The lists of fake sites are by no means exhaustive, and then you see a new one coming up almost every week.




There are organizations which have taken an initiative to clamp down the fake news being circulated. But is seems like the counterfeit news is not likely to go away as people have now found means for feeding off it. The urge to mint money and potentially influence opinion of the public has drawn people’s attention in conducting such activities.

Fake sites intentionally convey themselves as real and never disclose satirical nature. Consequently, the importance for fact check has surged. To be information savvy, one should be capable enough to distinguish between truth and fiction.



Some of the ways to spot fake news are:

  • Quick Scan: One of the easiest and quickest ways to decipher fake news is by scanning through some of the other headlines or first paragraph of other stories in the website.
  • Legitimate News: One way to verify if the news is legitimate or not is by going through other reputable web sites. If these sites too are running the same story then it is likely to be true.

With the surge in fake news been circulated, the world’s most popular search engine, Google, have actually considered paying organisations that provide fact check mechanism. Fact check is not performed by Google but by a set of trusted publishers. There are plenty of organisations which provide fact check mechanism. Google has collaborated with these organisations to incorporate links to the post in Google’s News clusters.  This feature is now available globally and is evident on Google’s search result pages along with Google News. Google now displays fact-checking labels for its search results so that it can highlight the information and news that is considered as vetted. The primary purpose is to help combat the viral spread of fake news.

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Articles that have fact check are marked with a fact-check label. Following information will be displayed:

  • A small piece of snippet is displayed depicting the information about the particular claim, issuer of the claim along with the results of fact checking for highlighted text.
  • Upon search of information, one can now see the fact check label and a link to the organisations providing it stating whether it is true or false.
  • There is quite a possibility for difference in conclusions. Google will convey the differences as well since this will help the readers to understand the degree of consensus pertaining to a claim.

Organisations or publishers that is willing to add its fact check feature to Google search need to follow stringent set of guidelines. If you are sceptical about some news, search on Google, check for the label and stay informed.

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Learning Hub Editorial Team

We are a team of tech enthusiasts who find Google Apps and its features intriguing. Let us know your views if you find us helpful.

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