Google mass blocks hundreds of fake news websites

Luke Meredith

Google has taken a stand against apparent fake news by blocking hundreds of websites across its search platform it believes were spreading propaganda.

According to Google’s Threat Analysis Group, the websites were posing as legitimate independent news outlets, but were in fact using their platforms to spread Chinese propaganda across the internet.

The protection group found that four companies, which it has dubbed ‘Glassbridge’, were operating hundreds of web domains supposedly from all over the world. These sites would create content aligned with the political interests of the Chinese government, under the guise of an independent news provider.

The Threat Analysis Group has blocked over a thousand Glassbridge-related websites from being found in Google’s News and Discover features. A Google threat analyst, Vanessa Molter, said:

“By using private PR firms, the actors behind the information operations gain plausible deniability, obscuring their role in the dissemination of coordinated inauthentic content.”

Some news topics that were regularly covered in line with China’s political views include COVID-19, as well as China’s interests in territories such as Taiwan, the South China Sea and Xinjiang.

Avoiding fake news online

Unfortunately, fake, unreliable and even harmful content is a hazard when browsing the internet.

However, while not every website will be trustworthy, many of the top-ranking websites for competitive search terms need to achieve a good level of reliability.

Google’s search guidelines place a big emphasis on content that is helpful, reliable and created with the user in mind, and your website should be striving for this goal.

At Engage Web, we ensure our SEO clients are producing trustworthy, authoritative content for their websites to help their rankings soar. Speak to our expert team today to see how we can help.

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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.

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Google mass blocks hundreds of fake news websites