Technology
Google launches news initiative to support media, combat fake news
TORONTO — Google is rolling out a news initiative aimed at supporting quality journalism by stopping the spread of fake news and helping publishers pick up more subscribers.
The technology company says the $300-million initiative will adjust algorithms and use new services to make users see links from publications they pay for higher up in their search results.
It will also let readers buy subscriptions to news publications with a few clicks using their Google account.
After subscribing, if users stay logged into their Google account, they won’t run into paywalls or be asked to repeatedly enter a username and password to access news from publishers they pay for.
It will also give journalists access to more secure internet by allowing them to easily set up their own virtual private network on a private server through an offering they’ll call Outline.
It will open a DisinfoLab to use computational tools to monitor misinformation during elections and launch a digital literacy curriculum called MediaWise to help readers distinguish fact from fiction online.
