Google releases function to trace the origin of images

Google has added a feature that makes it possible to trace the origin of an image. The feature is now available in the English version of Google. It is not mentioned when it will be available for other language versions.

With an image on Google it is now possible to use the ‘About this image’ button, the tech company said. The search engine then finds out when the image was first posted and then tells you how old it is. Web pages on which the image is used are also linked, just as is currently possible when users search for an image on Google.

If an image’s creators or publishers have added metadata, it will also be shown on the ‘About this image’ page. If the person has indicated that an image was generated by AI, Google will label the photo as such. According to the tech giant, this feature is not only useful for finding out whether an image is real, but also for knowing whether it is used in the right context.

In addition to this feature, Google is releasing an update for the Fact Check Explorer tool that allows journalists, among others, to quickly fact-check images. Users can paste the URL of an image into the tool, which will check whether it has already been used in a previous fact check. This feature is currently available in beta. It is still unclear when it will become generally available. Finally, Google announces that it is working on software that uses AI to generate descriptions of smaller websites. These should help users to quickly find out whether an unknown source is reliable. This feature has only been in development for a short time, Google writes.