Google's New 'About This Image' Feature for Fact-Checking; How To Use It?

New Delhi: Google has finally launched the most awaited fact check tool globally as announced in Google I/O 2023 event in June this year. The new feature ‘About this image’ will help to combat the misinformation and disinformation spread through doctored and manipulative images. The tool gives people an easy way to check the credibility and context of images they see online. 

How will it provide extra insight?

It allows people to see when an image or similar images may have first been seen by Google Search and whether it was previously published earlier on other webpages. It helps to find if the image is being taken out of context and shared in relation to a current event.

Moreover, the tool will show how an image is used on other pages and what other sources like news and fact checking sites have to say about it.

You will be able to see metadata – when available- that image creators and publishers have added to an image. There are some sections in metadata that indicate if the image is being generated by AI or not.

How To Use About This Image Tool?

The new feature is rolling out for all English users to fact check the image they see online.

Step 1: Click on any image.

Step 2: Tap on three dots on the image to have the pop box.

Step 3: Choose the ‘About this image’ option to get additional inputs about the image.

Fact Check Explorer Adds Image Searching

Fact Check Explorer gives journalists and fact checkers a deeper way to learn about an image or topic. Fact Check Explorer lets users find fact checks which have been investigated by independent organizations from around the world.

Now, it has extra added throng to check the images as well. Just put any image url into the Fact Check Explorer and see if it has been featured anywhere in an existing fact check. It also tells an overview of the different contexts associated with the image and their evolution over time.

SGE Powers More Information About Sources

Now, Google’s AI search overview termed “Search Generative Experience” will be able to show description of some sources for lesser-known websites, supported by information on high-quality sites that talk about the website. It will also showcase links to these sites in the description of the source.