Google and YouTube are investing to fight misinformation

Misinformation is continuously in the spotlight, as its rise has prompted social media giants to take significant action against all forms of fake news.

Today, Google and YouTube are the latest to make a move against misinformation, announcing a $13.2 million grant to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), a part of nonprofit media institute Poynter. The grant will fund the formation of the Global Fact Check Fund, to support a network of 135 fact-checking organizations, operating from 65 countries in over 80 languages. The money will go towards scaling existing operations and launch new initiatives to elevate information and reduce misinformation.

The fund will open in 2023. This is Google and YouTube's single largest grant toward fact-checking to date. Since 2018, the Google News initiative has invested close to $75 million in projects and partnerships with the intention of strengthening media literacy and fighting fake news.

"Google and YouTube remain dedicated to keep doing our part to help you find what you’re looking for and give you the context you need to make informed decisions about what you see online," reads the company statement.

Google has incorporated several fact-checking features, including the Fact Check section in Google News when viewed on desktop, and fact-check panels on YouTube that provide context at the top of search results for specific inquiries. YouTube also launched media literacy initiative Hit Pause, assisting users in identifying misinformation.

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In January 2022, the IFCN deemed YouTube "one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation worldwide". The fact-checking network cited COVID misinformation, other health misinformation, and political misinformation as thriving on the platform. In an open letter, the nonprofit proposed a partnership with YouTube, vowing to "find ways forward on a collaboration". YouTube has clearly taken the organisation up on this offer.

"This partnership with Google and YouTube infuses financial support to global fact-checkers and is a step in the right direction," says Baybars Örsek, executive director of the IFCN, in a statement. "And while there’s much work to be done, this partnership has sparked meaningful collaboration and an important step."