Imagine you see a viral story about dolphins and swans returning to the canals of Venice. A family member sends you a story about a local politician’s colorful past. Or you read a health claim online. Are they true? How do you know? People are often unsure about what information to trust. In fact, interest in the topic of misinformation reached an all-time high worldwide in October this year, according to Google Trends data.

Google and YouTube take our role in helping to fight misinformation seriously and we continually invest in products, programs and partnerships to help people access high-quality information. Today, Google and YouTube are announcing a $13.2 million grant to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the nonprofit Poynter Institute to launch a new Global Fact Check Fund to support their network of 135 fact-checking organizations from 65 countries covering over 80 languages. Building on our previous work to address misinformation, this is Google and YouTube’s single largest grant in fact-checking.

Helping people to identify misinformation is a global challenge. The Global Fact Check Fund will help fact-checkers to scale existing operations or launch new ones that elevate information, uplift credible sources and reduce the harm of mis- and disinformation around the globe. Fact-checking organizations can use the funding to incorporate new technologies, create or expand digital footprints, optimize verification tools, and increase their capacities to deepen audience engagement through innovative storytelling formats such as audio, video or podcasts. The Fund will open in early 2023.

Helping people verify information

Across Google and YouTube, we aim to connect you with high-quality information, and help you understand and evaluate that information. Fact-check features on Google Search, News and YouTube are an easy way to find information from independent fact-checking organizations. You can find fact-check and additional context features across our surfaces, such as:

• Fact checks from independent organizations in Google Search results. We highlight relevant fact check articles in results in Search, News and Google Images to ensure you get the full context while you’re searching.
• Fact-check panels on YouTube appear at the top of search results for queries related to a specific claim, helping provide viewers with additional context. These panels are available in six countries and we’re working to roll them out in additional markets.
• The Fact Check section in Google News on desktop. In addition to headlines, you’ll now see the original claim made along with the fact-checked assessment from independent organizations.
• Fact Check Explorer searches claims from among 150,000 fact checks from reputable publishers.