Google adds fact-check label in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina
Fact check -- that little tag that shows up in front of some articles in Google News -- is working its way around the world.
- Carrie has lived on both coasts and can definitively say that Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are the best.
People in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina can now see fact-check tagged articles in Google News.
Google wants to do more to highlight facts.
Last year, Google added fact check to the list of tags -- such as highly cited, trending and opinion -- that show up alongside article headlines on Google News. Now, the web giant is expanding the feature to more countries and regular search.
Starting Wednesday, people in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina can see the fact check tagged articles in Google News on desktops and in the Google News & Weather app, said Richard Gingras, head of Google News, in a blog post. The fact check tag was first introduced in the US and UK, and later expanded to France and Germany.
Concern over fake news on the internet reached a fever pitch last year during the US presidential election, with Google and Facebook coming under fire for not doing enough to squelch false articles. Google even admitted it messed up when a fake story about President Donald Trump winning the popular vote appeared prominently in the news section. Google says the fact check tag is one way to elevate and highlight news stories that have been fact checked so people can "can understand the value of what they're reading."
In addition to rolling out the tag in more countries, Google is adding it to news mode in Search -- that's when you click on the "News" tab above the results after doing a regular search.
Earlier this month, Google joined forces with Facebook to launch an initiative called CrossCheck, which will tackle fake news stories that could arise around the upcoming French presidential election. Google also said Wednesday it has provided support to more than 10 fact-checking projects across Europe as part of the Digital Initiative Fund.
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