The expansion of the digital world also broadened the horizon of fake news. Lots of things you read online especially in your social media feeds may appear to be true, often is not.
The world observes International Fact-Checking Day on 2 April. Ahead of the International Fact-Checking Day 2021, Google shared a list of instructions that can come in handy while trying to determine whether online content is genuine or fake.
Steps to check for misinformation online
Oftentimes, pictures are shared online that can be taken out of context or edited to mislead. In such cases, users can search with an image by right-clicking on a picture and selecting “Search Google for Image” to verify the context of the images. Google would let you know about the particular picture. It will also tell you if the picture has been altered.
Google users can type in a keyword and look for claims made by news publications and fact checks listed by Google. Users who wish to look for an elaborate fact check search for a topic in the Fact Check Explorer, which according to Google collects more than 100,000 fact checks from reputable publishers around the world.
It is always good to get the full story when it comes to a piece of news or a significant event. Users can see how and whether different news outlets have reported on the same event to get the full picture. This can be done through the Full Coverage option for a topic on Google News. “Make sure to click through to “Full Coverage” if the option is available,” it said.
Google notes that users can confirm if an event is indeed taking place at a location by checking Google Earth or the Street View of a location on Google Maps.