Google finally takes on fake news and hate sites

[decedent]

With its algorithm alone not making the cut, Google is turning to real people to fight fake news.Google's so-called quality raters — a swarm of more than 10,000 independent contractors who check website credibility, report illegal images and push high-quality pages to the top of search results — received a new tool to banish hateful, false or upsetting information out of prominence in searches and make them harder to find.
...Those results would still be reachable, but only with a query clearly intended to find them, the manual says....The changes are the latest wave of activity undertaken by tech companies to combat fake news and racism since the 2016 election, when tech giants like Facebook and Google were criticized for their slow-to-start responses to false and inflammatory news stories.

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It's about a year too late. Facebook is doing much the same thing where they're flagging hateful or fake pages.


It's about time the private sector took some responsibility for their content, or links to content. Usually, they're far ahead of the government when it comes to social issues, but this is one they've been severely lagging on. TO be fair, Google had already made an effort last year, but their algorithm sucked.


One of the reasons I quit facebook was due to all the crap my racist, redneck relatives were posting. I still doubt I'll go back to fb but I'm glad to see they're taking a stand against lies and hate. I bet their sponsors agree.

[AeonPax]

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I don't, nor ever have, required any service to point out fake news to me. I can do that by myself. Anyone with an 7th grade education can. This is more along the lines of the "dumbing down of America,"

[decedent]

As we've seen, millions of people pass on fake news as if it's gospel. They don't seem to know the difference.

[AeonPax]

As we've seen, millions of people pass on fake news as if it's gospel. They don't seem to know the difference.

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True. That speaks volumes.

[DGUtley]

"...who check website credibility, report illegal images and push high-quality pages to the top of search results — received a new tool to banish hateful, false or upsetting information out of prominence in searches and make them harder to find..."

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It's about a year too late. Facebook is doing much the same thing where they're flagging hateful or fake pages.
It's about time the private sector took some responsibility for their content, or links to content. Usually, they're far ahead of the government when its t comes to social issues, but this is one they've been severely lagging on. TO be fair, Google had already made an effort last year, but their algorithm sucked.
One of the reasons I quit facebook was due to all the crap my racist, redneck relatives were posting. I still doubt I'll go back to fb but I'm glad to see they're taking a stand against lies and hate. I bet their sponsors agree.

Lies
Hateful
False
Upsetting

IMHO, when people start censoring 'upsetting' or 'fake' or 'crap my racist, redneck relatives were posting' content it starts us down a very bad path. Who defines what is upsetting or fake or hateful or crap? You? Me? Them? What if them is diametrically opposed to you politically? What then?

[Subdermal]

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I don't, nor ever have, required any service to point out fake news to me. I can do that by myself. Anyone with an 7th grade education can. This is more along the lines of the "dumbing down of America,"

This is worse. This more along the lines of propaganda, and thought control.

It's ok though: I don't use Google.

[Subdermal]

As we've seen, millions of people pass on fake news as if it's gospel. They don't seem to know the difference.

Yeah. Like Hillary is a corruption-free good and honest person.

[AeonPax]

This is worse. This more along the lines of propaganda, and thought control. It's ok though: I don't use Google.

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And we are supposed to trust Google and their amazing algorithms? Facebook and Google Are Spreading Way Too Many Lies I think not.

[FindersKeepers]

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And we are supposed to trust Google and their amazing algorithms? Facebook and Google Are Spreading Way Too Many Lies I think not.

Google is putting on the mantle of all-knowing social engineer.

We do have a problem with fake news, but it's coming from both sides of the spectrum, and from small and large media outlets as well. If Google raters are instructed to down-rank indie sites in favor of big media sites, they will effectively censor what very well could be valid news.

It's a bad situation and the solution is worse than the problem.

[Bethere]

As we've seen, millions of people pass on fake news as if it's gospel. They don't seem to know the difference.

Including the POTUS.