The tech giant Google is rolling out a new update to Search and News to curb the spread of fake information and help users find the original source of a trending story.
The features will provide its users with tips on how to evaluate online information. In the Top Stories section of the News app, Google is adding a new label, ‘highly cited’, that highlights frequently cited stories, which may offer relevant information on news reports.
In 2021, Google updated Search to notify users about rapidly evolving stories and added an About this result section. This feature is currently available in over 20 languages. Now in the United States, these notices will also provide users with information on how to evaluate online news results. The search giants have also shared tips for users to reliably utilize online fact-checking tools.
The highly cited label will be available for users on investigative articles, interviews, announcements, press releases, or local news stories which may provide added context to stories being published by media outlets. The label is launching soon on mobile in English for the US and will roll out globally in the coming weeks, the company said in a blog post.
Earlier this week, Alphabet and Google CEO Mr. Sundar Pichai announced that the company is investing $10 million to help fight misinformation about the realities and facts of the war in Ukraine. This includes new collaborations with think tanks and civil society organizations to conduct region-specific research into misinformation and disinformation and cash grants to support fact-checking networks and non-profits.
