Google Acts Against Fake News

Google announced its first attempt to combat the circulation of “fake news” on its search engine with new tools allowing users to report misleading or offensive content, and a pledge to improve results generated by its algorithm.

The technology company said it would allow people to complain about misleading, inaccurate or hateful content in its autocomplete function, which pops up to suggest searches based on the first few characters typed.

It also said it would refine its search engine to “surface more authoritative pages and demote low-quality content” – and acknowledged for the first time that it had taken the measures to combat the threat of fake news.

Ben Gomes, vice-president of engineering, Google Search, said in a blogpost: “In a world where tens of thousands of pages are coming online every minute of every day, there are new ways that people try to game the system. The most high-profile of these issues is the phenomenon of ‘fake news’, where content on the web has contributed to the spread of blatantly misleading, low quality, offensive, or downright false information.”

The executive added that the user feedback mechanisms were designed to “include clearly labelled categories so you can inform us directly if you find sensitive or unhelpful content”. Results would allow Google to change the way pages were ranked in search results.

Regarding the changes to its search algorithm, Gomes added: “We’ve adjusted our signals to help surface more authoritative pages and demote low-quality content ... so that issues similar to the Holocaust denial results that we saw back in December are less likely to appear.” The news of the prominence of Holocaust denial in Google searches was first revealed by the Observer.

Google also promised to open up over how it would make such decisions in the future, although there remained criticism over its lack of transparency.
“As is often the case when Google announces changes, this couldn’t be more-vague,” suggested Joost de Valk, a search engine expert, at the consultancy firm Yoast.

The changes come following months of pressure on Google over low-quality and offensive results in its search products, including autocomplete suggestions, which promote the idea that climate change is a hoax.

The company’s main search product has been accused similarly of spreading extremism: in late 2016 a search for “did the Holocaust happen” gave, as its first result, a link to Holocaust denial on the racist website Stormfront.

Google will also allow users to make complaints about its “featured snippets”, Google’s name for the boxed-out answers that appear at the top of searches for common queries – which have been said to have spread fake news, such as a claim that Barack Obama was planning a coup in 2016.

Danny Sullivan, editor of the industry news site Search Engine Land, said that the changes were almost certainly driven by Google’s desire to end the rash of bad press it had received over its role in spreading such misleading and false information.
“The response is definitely happening because of all the attention that’s come up in recent months over fake news and problematic search results, answers and search suggestions,”

Sullivan said, “Some of the changes are already visible in terms of better results. It’s a long way from perfect, nor do I expect the results will ever be perfect for every search. That’s impossible. But I do hope we see continued improvement in the weeks and months to come.”

Guardian

You Might Also Read: 

Google’s Fact Checking News:

Russian Propaganda Connections:

Facebook’s Shifting Attitude To Controversy:

Facebook Wants To Eliminate Racially Targeted Advertising:

 

 

« Cybersecurity Trends For Boards & Directors
Intelligence Agency Backs Start-Up Spy Apps »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout enables cyber security professionals to reduce cyber risk to their organization with proactive security solutions, providing immediate improvement in security posture and ROI.

BackupVault

BackupVault

BackupVault is a leading provider of automatic cloud backup and critical data protection against ransomware, insider attacks and hackers for businesses and organisations worldwide.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

SecPoint

SecPoint

SecPoint provides products to secure & protect your network from remote and local attacks.

RSA Security

RSA Security

RSA provide cybersecurity products for Threat Detection and Response, Identity and Access Management, Governance, Risk and Compliance, and Fraud Prevention.

King & Spalding

King & Spalding

King & Spalding is an international law firm with offices in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Practice areas include Data, Privacy & Security.

Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE)

Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE)

INCIBE undertakes research, service delivery and coordination for building cybersecurity at the national and international levels.

CUIng.org

CUIng.org

The CUIng initiative was launched to tackle the problem of criminal exploitation of information hiding techniques.

ID Agent

ID Agent

ID Agent provides a comprehensive set of threat intelligence and identity monitoring solutions.

Fingerprint Cards

Fingerprint Cards

Fingerprint Cards develops and produces biometric components and technologies that verify a person’s identity through the analysis and matching of an individual’s unique fingerprint.

ecsec

ecsec

ecsec is a specialized vendor of security solutions including information security management, smart card technology, identity management, cloud computing and electronic signature technology.

HorizonIQ

HorizonIQ

HorizonIQ (formerly Internap Corp / INAP) maximizes efficiency and innovation with flexible infrastructure solutions.

Cycode

Cycode

Cycode is the industry’s first source code control, detection, and response platform.

Dataships

Dataships

We help companies automate their privacy compliance while building healthy, transparent data relationships with their customers.

National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) - Thailand

National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) - Thailand

National Cyber Security Agency of Thailand is responsible for coordinating and implementing national cybersecurity policies, strategies, and initiatives.

Prembly

Prembly

Prembly are a compliance and security infrastructure company.

Nerds On Site

Nerds On Site

Nerds On Site provide on-site & in-home IT and technical support, managed IT services, and cyber security through our collaborative team of highly-trained IT and Security professionals.

NetAlly

NetAlly

NetAlly network test solutions help engineers and technicians better deploy, manage, maintain, and secure today’s complex wired and wireless networks.

Continent 8 Technologies

Continent 8 Technologies

Continent 8 Technologies is the leading provider of managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions to the global online gambling industry.

CyberSG TIG Centre

CyberSG TIG Centre

CyberSG TIG Centre aims to propel Singapore as the world’s premier cybersecurity innovation hub for economic growth.