Google’s doubling down on its commitment to deliver quality Search information to users all over the world. Following a number of recent initiatives, the company’s ready to deliver higher-quality information through both Search and News. That’s according to a much more dramatically worded announcement that the tech giant put out several hours back.
Not that countless people don’t depend on its services, mind you. There is no doubt that Google’s mission is of great importance to the world. Why is making exorbitant sums of money from micro-targeting everyone and their mother with invasive advertising important, you wonder? Well, because in the process of doing so, Google might even provide a public service or two. For the low, low cost of free and every last bit of data on your person that could potentially be leveraged for profit. Yes, I’m afraid it’s too late to return that free Gmail account now.
Cynical reality checks aside, the Google Search framework for information processing is getting more robust. And that is definitely a good thing. Not just because it reduces the the potential for misinformation to spread online. On the other end of the spectrum, the novelties will also amplify quality information. Still, the bulk of today’s announcement revolves around the so-called Intelligence Desk. Which is Google’s recently formed task unit dedicated to identifying potential misinformation initiatives around the world and counteracting them. I.e. reminding the general public that many people are still brazen enough to go on the Internet and tell lies.
“Google, Search quality information and nuke the conspiracy theorists”
The initiative itself isn’t entirely new, however. Google’s Crisis Response team precedes it to a degree. Of course, back when the company establishe its original task force, the idea was to improve its information services’ response to natural disasters. These days, the main threat are either paid misinformation agents or middle-aged women concern-trolling modern medicine because they believe Bill Gates wants to cull the global population in the most elaborate way possible – by giving away infinite wealth to fight world hunger and diseases. He’s a sneaky one, indeed, as many users of the bastion of free speech and dead brain matter that is Facebook will readily confirm.
On the other side of the information war, Google is implementing a wide range of new additions meant to help propagate quality data. Take, for example, the Google Knowledge Graph that’s been going strong for nearly a decade now. This latest wave of changes deepened its Search integration even further. In effect, the Knowledge Graph can now help you learn about the spread of COVID-19 and visualize planned unemployment benefits, among other convenient tasks. Meanwhile, Google is now averaging roughly 1,000 general Search quality checks every day, the company revealed.