Google has announced new features for Search and News, aimed at directing users to “credible sources” of information.
Last June, the company started applying labels to search results for “rapidly evolving topics” such as breaking news and viral videos. The labels suggest checking back later when there are more details.
Starting from today, in the US, users will start seeing more labels to help access if the information they are seeing is credible, as determined by Google.
The labels will suggest things such as looking up the author of a story and checking the date of publication.
In Google News, the company added a new label for Top Stories that have been cited multiple times by other outlets. Google will also use the label to indicate original reporting.
The new features are currently only available in the US and only in English. The tech giant plans a global rollout in a few weeks.
In another blog post announcing new initiatives, Alphabet and Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai said: “We saw how many Ukrainians turned to Search to find up-to-date information, including where to find shelter or humanitarian aid, and relied on air raid alerts on their phones.”
To tackle the issue of “misinformation” and “disinformation,” Google will roll out new features, including Transparency Labels on YouTube and Info Panel in the local languages in Central and Eastern Europe.
Pichai said Alphabet and Google will invest another $10 million in partnerships with civil society organizations and think tanks for region-specific research into disinformation and misinformation. The company will also offer cash grants to fact-checking organizations.
