Google has recently taken some steps to vet search results. However, with so many different sources of information, it can be difficult to know which ones are reliable and which ones aren't. Now, Google is testing a new feature that will warn users when a search is likely to return unreliable results.
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It’s designed to provide users with additional content about new or rare information. “When someone searches on Google, we try to show them the most relevant and reliable information we can,” Google Search expert Danny SullivanRecode .“But we have a lot of stuff that’s completely new.”
A box that appears above search results advises users that “it appears these results are changing rapidly,” adding that “if this topic is new, it can sometimes take time to add results from trusted sources.” For example, it mentioned a recent news story about a UFO supposedly caught on a police helicopter camera.
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“Someone had taken this video of the police report that was released in Wales and it had gotten a bit of press interest. But there’s not a lot of information about it,” Sullivan said. He also pointed out that in many cases such stories gain a larger audience, piquing the interest of users, but most of the time it’s not true.
If fully implemented, the new feature would bolster Google’s recent efforts to inform users about the quality of its search results. In February, the company introduced “about this result” panels, which display a description of the linked website. They detail how the site came up with information. However, “about this result” pop-ups are hidden behind a menu that people may not know to click on.
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The latter feature warns users by displaying the message front and center that the results may not be reliable, hoping that users will stop before spreading any misinformation.
