Fake news: Google avvertirà gli utenti se il sito è inaffidabile

Google torna a combattere le fake news e la disinformazione con una nuova funzione: segnalerà agli utenti se le informazioni vengono da un sito affidabile o meno

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Veronica Nicosia Giornalista scientifico

Laureata in astrofisica, giornalista scientifico e content editor SEO, scrive di tecnologia per magazine online e carta stampata. Nel 2020 approda a Libero Tecnologia

Contro le fake news, Google imbraccia l’artiglieria pesante. To put a brake on what seems to be an unstoppable wave of fake news, now the search engine will allow users to understand if the information searched comes from a reliable source or not, reporting what has not been subjected to proper verification.

The new feature was announced by Google on the company's blog, stressing the importance of being able to count on correct and reliable news. Therefore Big G has decided to update its systems in order to be able to act in a timely manner, especially on breaking news that in a few moments monopolize the information system and that are more difficult to control than in-depth analysis and "cold" topics. Therefore, in the case of sources not yet placed under the magnifying glass, Big G will affix an anti-fake news mark, keeping the readers' attention high.

Fake news and Google, how the warning works

To try to curb the problem of fake news with an iron fist, Google has therefore chosen to show a warning that will highlight the particular feature of the topic: that is, just published and, consequently, in complete evolution. To make this known, a wording will alert the user to make further consultations later, when more sources may be available to be able to investigate - and verify - the veracity of the claims.

"It looks like these results are changing rapidly," reads the English box that appears at the top of the search page in areas where the feature is already active. "If this topic is new, it can sometimes take time for results to be added from reliable sources," is Big G's warning to readers.

With a simple but useful gimmick, users will know they may come across news that is not necessarily crystal clear. This is an eventuality that in the past has managed to influence even major events including the 2016 presidential elections.

Fake news and Google, when will the alert arrive

As anticipated, the function has already been integrated into the results but, for the moment, it only involves searches made in English and in the territory of the United States. Don't worry, though: Google has confirmed that over the next few months, once the trial run is over, the service will extend its range of action to the rest of the world for even greater effectiveness.