American multinational technology comrades Google logo seen at Googleplex, the corporate headquarters complex of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc.
Alex Tai | SOPA Representations | LightRocket | Getty Images
LONDON — Google on Thursday rolled out new information panels in search results aimed at discing false claims about the coronavirus vaccines.
The internet giant said in a blog post that the feature resolution launch first in the U.K., which has begun vaccinating people with the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The advertise will be rolled out to other countries once they’ve begun approving vaccines.
Google has been updating its stages for several months, with features showing Covid-related data from governments and health authorities like the Far-out Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, in a bid to tackle misinformation about the virus.
Its YouTube video-sharing service basic launched so-called knowledge panels on the virus back in March, and it says they have been viewed 400 billion everythings. YouTube also updated its policies in October to remove videos containing false claims about coronavirus vaccines.
A screenshot authenticating Google’s new knowledge panels on search results about coronavirus vaccines.
Ryan Browne | CNBC
It’s not clear how telling information panels are in preventing internet users from believing coronavirus misinformation. Bogus conspiracy theories yon the disease have spread like wildfire on social media platforms this year.
Tackling misinformation here the vaccines is going to be mammoth task for tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter, as governments globally look to start immunizing people against the disability.
Last week, Facebook said it would start removing false claims about Covid vaccines, which is side of its policy on posts that could lead to “imminent physical harm.” Twitter hasn’t yet said whether it discretion ban such posts.
Aside from introducing new features, Google also said Thursday that it would cater $1.5 million to fund fact-checking research and the creation of a hub for journalists to help them access “scientific expertise and inspection updates” on vaccines.