Ever stumbled upon an image online or received one from a friend and felt something was off about it? Wondered if it’s been tampered with, taken out of context, or questioned its origins? Getting the complete picture is crucial when determining the credibility of information or images. A 2022 Poynter study revealed that 62% of individuals feel they encounter false information on a daily or weekly basis.
In a bid to verify an image and its source, Google announced a feature called “About This Image” early in the year. The tech giant has now started the roll-out of the feature to English language users globally in Google Search. About this image gives people an easy way to check the credibility and context of images they see online.
Using this tool, you can discover the following about the image:
- An image’s history: This shows the original occurrence and context of images, helping identify outdated images being shared as current events
- How other sites use and describe the image: This displays an image’s use across webpages and provides insights from news and fact-checking sites, aiding in evaluating the image’s context and claims
- An image’s metadata: Users can view metadata on images, including indications of AI enhancement, with all AI-generated images by Google having this markup.
This additional image data allows you to gauge an image’s reliability.
You can access this tool by clicking on the three dots on an image in Google Images results, or by clicking “more about this page” in the About this result tool on search results. “About this image” is only available in regular searches to start, but Google says it will add more ways to access the tool as time goes on.
