Here’s how you can spot ‘fake news’ and fact-check information

As social media platforms become part of lives of millions of people, it’s become much easier to spread “fake news” online with just a simple click of a button.

In a webinar on Saturday titled “#FYTCOVID19: Fighting vaccine misinformation,” Google News Initiative teaching fellow Trinna Leong said it had become vital for people to fact-check information before sharing it.

According to Leong, the correct term for “fake news” is misinformation. Misinformation refers to information that is false or inaccurate while disinformation is misinformation that is created or disseminated “in a deliberate effort to manipulate or influence.”

Leong said one of the problems of misinformation was it could cause real harm. An example of this is when misinformation tells people to ingest certain chemicals in the guise of preventing them from getting infected with COVID-19.

“People share it and think, ‘I’m warning other people and giving tips to prevent COVID-19. Sharing is better than not sharing,’ but in this case, it causes more harm than good,” she said. “Your role then is to check before sharing.”

Another thing we could do was raise awareness on the importance of checking and questioning the veracity of the content before forwarding it to different other people, said Leong.

To fact-check the information you have at hand and verify the claim itself, here are a few tips:

1. Use search engines such as Google to find and verify news.

Leong said a good search was already a powerful research tool. You can use search engines such as Google to find and verify news and check if the information has already been fact-checked.

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), a non-partisan network of different news organizations that undergo rigorous training, has certified hundreds of organizations, including Vera Files and Agence France-Presse.

This means that the organizations have shown “commitment to nonpartisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, transparency of funding and organization, transparency of methodology, and a commitment to open and honest corrections,” according to IFCN.

2. Social media timestamp

Another way to verify information is to check if it is uploaded recently or not and is only being shared again to manipulate audiences.

An example of using social media timestamp to verify information is when an image showing a flooding incident in your neighborhood circulates online. However, upon doing an image search, you find a similar photo posted by someone last year. With that information, you can conclude that the flooding incident in your neighborhood is not happening right now.

3. Reverse image/video search

Another way to verify information is by searching the image online and checking if it’s a recycled post.

According to Leong, if you want to fact-check a photo on a website, all you have to do is right click on the image and choose the option “Search Image with Google Lens.”

You can also search via Google Images, where you can either paste an image URL or upload a photo and see where else it has been published.

Aside from Google, you can also use Bing, Yandex, and TinEye to search for images.

4. Geolocation

You can also use geolocation to trace the image’s whereabouts and verify if the information happened at the place it claims to be in.

To do this, simply go to Google Maps and use the street map. Click the yellow man icon and it will show you blue lines and dots showing the location’s most recent photo captures.

“When you click those, you can get a sense of what it looks like in the place if you can’t be there physically,” Leong said.

An example of using Google Maps is when information circulates about an incident that occurred at a certain establishment. You can use the online street map to check if the place matches with the information being shared.

Google Maps also has a clock icon that lets you check the view of the location from past photos.

If you’re not physically present in the area, you can use Google’s satellite map and cross-reference the location’s features with the information you’re verifying.

To fight against false information, Leong also shared the importance of media literacy programs, especially in remote areas where people don’t have easy access to the internet to fact-check.

“False information didn’t start when the internet began. It started centuries ago,” she said. – RC, GMA News