Google Adds Fact-Check Feature for Image Searches

Google had said that the new feature will help people “make more informed judgments about what they see on the web.”

Google is bringing a fact-check feature to Google Images to help people make more ‘informed judgments’.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@Mantzarlis)

Google launched a fact-check feature for Google Images on Monday, 22 June, with the help of which it will be possible for people to read the summary of a photo and verify it with the original article which includes the respective image.

According to Google, the new feature will help people “make more informed judgments about what they see on the web.”

"Photos and videos are an incredible way to help people understand what’s going on in the world. But the power of visual media has its pitfalls⁠—especially when there are questions surrounding the origin, authenticity or context of an image," said Google in its announcement.

“We are surfacing fact check information in Google Images globally to help people navigate these issues,” said the Internet giant.

The company further highlighted that the fact-check labels will appear on results that come from independent, authoritative sources on the web that meet its criteria.

"These sources rely on ClaimReview, an open method used by publishers to indicate fact check content to search engines. We already highlight fact checks on Search and in Google News to make this content easy to discover," said Harris Cohen, Group Product Manager of Search at Google.

“YouTube also leverages ClaimReview to surface fact check information panels in Brazil, India and the U.S. The full fact check library can be accessed through a dedicated search tool and an open API.”

Harris Cohen, Group Product Manager of Search, Google