Google fine-tunes search for accurate, timely Covid-19 data

MANILA – As it helps the online community gather information on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Google announced on Thursday the launch of a dedicated search results page for quick and easy access to credible and timely information on vaccines from trusted news sources and health authorities.

Reliable information on vaccination updates, news, links to global and local health authorities, and health information among others will be suggested when people type in relevant keywords such as “Covid-19 vaccines”.

Bernadette Nacario, country director of Google Philippines, said they also added the feature on YouTube, which has been investing heavily to raise authoritative contents.

“Through information panels, people are linked to more trusted global and local health sources that appear on videos and searches about Covid-19 and vaccines. These are also displayed on the platform’s homepage,” she said.

“Google is committed to protecting our platforms from misinformation and connecting more people to information they can trust. That includes taking down harmful and misleading content across our products, raising authoritative information on (Google) Search and YouTube, providing ad grants, and supporting quality news reporting on vaccines,” Nacario added.

She said some 700,000 videos with dangerous or false Covid-19 information have already been removed from Google sites.

“We will continue to connect more Filipinos to trusted information in our platforms as quick and easy access to credible and timely information is key to help fight misinformation, keep people safe, and build public confidence in vaccines,” she added.

The Department of Health has coordinated with Google and other tech companies for the #ChecktheFAQscampaign.

The campaign emphasizes the importance of accurate information and encourages the public to fact-check information.