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Google's New Feature Checks Fake News So You Can Share Without Looking Stupid

by Amanda Fama
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It's 2017, and the internet is jam-packed with fake news.

We're not talking about the president's idea of "fake news," either — we're talking about downright skewed information hidden in the deep, dark depths of Google.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we're all guilty of accidentally sharing a fake news story or two and facing the embarrassment once someone points out it isn't factual.

With Google's new feature, we don't have to worry about that happening anymore.

Google just released a new "Fact Check" tag that will fact check certain news articles online and label them accordingly.

The new feature — which was originally released in a select few countries in 2016 —will be available globally in all different languages so people around the world can rest assured the articles they're reading are true.

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Certain articles will be reviewed by third-party fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact and Snopes.

According to Mashable, Google made it clear only publishers who are "algorithmically determined to be an authoritative source of information" will be qualified.

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The articles that have been fact checked will be labeled with information about the claim, who made the claim and finally, a summary indicating whether or not the article is factual. Some articles might display the summery "false," or "mostly true."

Interesting, right?

Unfortunately, Google has made it clear it is possible the same search results will show different conclusions if various fact-checking organizations judge the articles differently.

Regardless, the new feature will be helpful for people searching the web and trying to inform themselves with reliable and true information.

Another perk is you won't fall victim to sharing fake news on Facebook anymore.

If your company wishes to be included in Google's Fact Check feature, there are quite a few restrictions you'll have to abide by.

To see if your publishing company will make the cut, check out the rules and stipulations here.

Happy searching, everyone!

Citations: Google rolls out fact-checking feature globally (Mashable), Fact Check now available in Google Search and News around the world (Google)