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Facebook and Google reveal how they plan to fight fake news

Updated Nov 22nd, 2019 4:32AM EST
BGR

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Facebook and Google have had a significant role in the spread of fake news, facing plenty of criticism last year after the US presidential election since fake news is believed to have had a huge impact on the result. Neither Facebook nor Google actively contributed to disseminating fake news. Seemingly motivated by financial or political gain, some people and organizations took advantage of the way Facebook and Google work and used the services to spread fake news. But both companies have promised to fight the phenomenon, separately announcing measures meant to combat that viral lies that are told online.

Google on Friday announced a new product called Fact Check that will be available in Search and News. Google itself will not verify the accuracy of reports, but the company created the “Fact Check” tag to identify news reports as having been fact-checked by other news publishers and fact-checking organizations.

Image source: Google

The Fact Check label will appear everywhere in Search and in News, and users will be able to spot fact-checked stories immediately, as seen in the image above. Naturally, not all news reports out there will be fact-checked. But the kind of viral stories that turn out to be fake may be fact-checked by people looking to stop the spread of misinformation.

Facebook, in turn, is also looking to curb the spread of false news within its social network. The company explained that it’s been focusing on three areas, including the disruption of economic incentives for fake news creators to push such stories, new products to stop the spread of fake news, and helping people make more informed decisions when they see potential fake news.

Image source: Facebook

One of the measures meant to stop fake news is the tool in the image above, an educational project intended to help people spot fake stories. The tool will be located at the top of the News Feed for a few days in 14 countries. Additionally, Facebook promised to continue its work in all the three key areas it identified, in an effort to put a stop to fake news.

Like Google, Facebook won’t interfere directly, but it’ll try to prevent fake news from going viral by informing Facebook users how to avoid fake news, and by making it harder for fake news creators to make money off their viral stories. Facebook will also work with other partners to try to prevent fake news from going viral.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.