Tools used to detect fake news (Part:2)

Personal beliefs

Often, we just like to get the information that we believe in, want to do or that goes with our ideological position. This is called confirmation bias. This should be kept in mind while conducting fact-checking. It is important to remember that there is no compromise with the truth because of one’s own beliefs.

Free fact-checking tools

In our current discussion, Google will be considered as a search engine. However, you can use any search engine if you want. The fact-checking tools mentioned here are 100% free and easy to use.

Google search engine

You can verify the authenticity of a lot of information just by using the Google search engine. There are some special Google search commands that you can use to find your desired information easily without drowning infodemic. You can read this article to know how to find information successfully with Google.

There is no pair of pictures to spread fake news. Sometimes it is possible to spread misinformation by using real pictures, and needless to say fake pictures. You can be sure about the image’s authenticity by searching on Google a lot of information inside the image. For example, suppose there is a picture of a flag in the picture of a procession, then by typing the description of that flag in Google. In that case, it can be understood whether the picture has any relation with the procession of the country or the subject of the procession.

Suppose, then, that the name of a place is mentioned in a picture and the picture is claimed to be of that place. Now you can google the place’s name if you want to get a clear idea of ​​what the place looks like. This will make it clear to you whether what is claimed in the picture is true.

Google Maps, Google Street View

If you see a shop name board, billboard, street name in a picture, you can check them on Google Map. But first, you have to search those names in Google. Then you can find that place on the map according to the location information obtained from Google.

Then if you use Google Street View, you can see the pictures of that place. Then you can compare Streetview images with the space shown in the original image. If there is a street name, it will remain unchanged. But in many cases, the name of the store may change over time or the store may not be there. In that case, another advantage of Google Streetview can be used. Old photos are stored in Streetview. With the back of the timeline, you can see the old pictures.

Tiny

Tiny Eye is another easy-to-use reverse image search tool. In addition, to reverse image search, it can also determine if an image has been edited or changed. This tool specializes in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition, Neural Networks, and Machine Learning.

Metadata Extraction Tools

Metadata refers to any data. The metadata of an image, such as the pixel density, resolution, aperture atc of a picture taken with a camera.

Knowing the metadata of an image makes it easier to verify the authenticity of that image. After taking a picture, its metadata is the date and time of the picture, device model, aspect ratio, shutter speed, whether the flashlight was turned on or off while taking the picture, GPS coordinates, resolution etc. when the location of the device is turned on. Becomes encoded.

YouTube Data viewer

With this tool from Amnesty International, you can take a picture from any YouTube video and search for the reverse image.

Advanced search on Facebook and Twitter

Advanced search is a more precise search without relying on anyone’s general keyword. After typing a topic in the search option on Facebook, the search result can be searched according to different criteria such as time, date, new-to-old, etc. Similarly, it is possible to do the advanced search from the Twitter search option.

But Twitter has another tool for advanced search. The interface of this tool, called Tweetdeck is different from Twitter. It is divided into many columns. Feed-in one column, messages in one, thus separate columns for notifications, trending etc. If you search for something, then another new column will open and show the search result there. In this method, many search results can be seen simultaneously at the same time. The search results bars continue to be refreshed with each new tweet related to that search.

Weather Underground

Using this tool, the weather of a place can be known at any time in the past. The tool displays the recorded weather for that place by searching by typing the place and date.

This tool can be used to verify the authenticity of the claimed space and time of an image. The weather in the picture has to be matched with the weather of the time claimed in the place of the picture. For example, if you see rain in the picture in your hand but you find out using the tool that there was no rain at that time, then you will be sure that the claim of the picture is false.

Web back machine

An old version of a website can be seen with this tool. In addition to searching for older versions of this browser extension created by the Internet Archive, you can also upload a copy of any webpage if you wish. If a post on a site or page looks like it might be removed later, you can save it in advance with this tool. Another similar tool is Archive today.

Specialized website

Suppose a picture shows a traffic jam in a city. But it is not mentioned in any city or country or you are skeptical about what is mentioned. In this case, how to find out the spatial source of the image? Using car number plate. The city’s name will be known only if you know the country of the number plate. By visiting the License Plates of the World site, you can see samples of car license plates from all over the world. This is a specialized website. Special websites are made with many such things, and these sites only work with that one particular thing. Another example is the Internet Movie Firearms Database. This site tells you which models of weapons have been used in which movies.

Fact-checking requires keen searching eyes and smartness. You need to know when to use a tool. Care must be taken to ensure that specific tools come to mind when needed. It is very important to have an idea about Google search. Your personal fact-checking can also play a big role in freeing the internet from fake information.