Google and YouTube Add New Ways to Validate What We See Online

Google and its video-based partner-in-crime, YouTube, have just announced a spate of new fact-checking features to help in this modern age of endless conspiracies and hogwash. 

Google will now highlight relevant fact-checking results in Search, News, and Images to provide context as you surf the web, while YouTube gets fact-check panels that appear at the top of the search results for queries touching on specific claims. The company says these panels are available in six countries, the US included, with more on the way. 

Google News for desktops has also received an overhaul to accommodate easier fact-checking. Headlines now appear alongside original claims and fact-checked assessments from independent organizations. 

The company has even beefed up its Fact Check Explorer service, adding more reputable publishers and more fact-checked claims. As for Search, it's getting a new 'about this result' feature that provides context before even visiting a website. Just tap the three dots next to the result. 

"Google and YouTube remain dedicated to keep doing our part to help you find what you're looking for and give you the context you need to make informed decisions about what you see online," wrote Olivia Ma, Managing Director of Global News Programs and Ecosystem at Google.

Google has even reached beyond its service platform to hand out a $13.2 million grant to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to help the organization launch a new fact-checking initiative called the Global Fact-Check Fund. 

Fact-checking organizations can use this funding to develop new technologies or deepen pre-existing tools. The Global Fact-Check Fund officially opens its doors in 2023.