Google Updates Algorithm To Tackle Fake News

Google has updated its ranking algorithm and rolled out various new features in an effort to tackle fake news in its search results. In an announcement on its blog, it said that the ranking algorithm had been updated to boost “more authoritative pages and demote low-quality content”. It has also introduced “misleading information, offensive results, hoaxes and unsupported conspiracy theories” as factors to be taken into account by Google evaluators who test the algorithms while they are in beta. Google hopes that the algorithm update will help to reduce the amount of fake and offensive content that surfaces in the search results. In case any inappropriate content does get through, however, it has also rolled out two feedback tools that allow members of the public to flag up any such content. The feedback tools have been rolled out for Autocomplete and Featured Snippets, and include categories such as “hateful”, “inaccurate”, “dangerous” and “vulgar” so that users can clearly state which results are problematic and what exactly is wrong with them.

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