Updated 5/11/26.
A Short History of Online Fact-Checking:
Alphabet added a fact-checking category to Google News in October 2016. The “Fact Check” tag used the program ClaimReview to highlight articles from verified fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact and Snopes...
In 2017, Google expanded its “Fact Check” tag globally and to its search results. It showed results from third-party fact-checking organizations that were verified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or similar bodies. The fact-checked tags in search results showed information about the accuracy of a claim, who made the claim and who fact checked the claim.
“Even though differing conclusions may be presented, we think it’s still helpful for people to understand the degree of consensus around a particular claim and have clear information on which sources agree,” the company said at the time.
In 2023, Google began changing its tune. That June, Google said that effective immediately it would stop removing false claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 presidential race from YouTube, [having] made the decision to balance its twin goals of “protecting our community and providing a home for open discussion and debate.”
The company elaborated in an official YouTube blog: “In the current environment, we find that while removing this content does curb some misinformation, it could also have the unintended effect of curtailing political speech without meaningfully reducing the risk of violence or other real-world harm”.
-- Source: How Google shifted from a bastion of accurate information to a steward of free expression. Jennifer Elias/ CNBC. September 26, 2025.
What does AI have to say about the recent decreased prominence of fact-checking sites on the Google News feed?
Key reasons:
Prioritization of AI Overviews: AI-generated answers and summaries are taking up prime placement, replacing direct links to fact-checking sites like PolitiFact or FactCheck.org.
Lower Overall Volume: The actual output of tagged fact-check articles has decreased slightly, with a roughly 6% decrease in 2025 compared to 2024.
Shift in Strategy: Google has moved away from prioritizing external verification in favor of promoting "free expression," according to reports that suggest a shift away from relying on independent fact-checkers.
Silver-lining #1: Most consumers of AI summaries don’t assume AI always tells the truth and nothing but the truth, ie. they aren’t stupid.
About 70% of consumers say they “somewhat trust” generative AI search results. Yet 75% simultaneously worry about misinformation—a notable tension.
—Source: AI Overview Statistics: Data, Trends & What They Mean for Your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Rob Timmermann / Timmermann Group January 21, 2026
Silver-lining #2: Facts are Nice, But...
Facts are nice, but fact-checking posts are not always relevant or helpful, especially when they miss the point of whatever statements are being corrected.
For example, the fact-checked person may have been striving for moral impact or engaging in “loose talk”, carelessly flinging out claims with little regard for accuracy.
-- Paraphrased points made in Facts are Nice, But.../ Exploring the Problem Space January 15, 2025
That’s rather wishy-washy. Sometimes a lie is a lie is a lie and it needs to be called out.
When I characterize something the president or one of his toadies has said as a “lie,” and the reporter puts on his best Very Serious Man of Washington face and goes off slightly diagonally, insisting that the statement was offered “without evidence” or that it was “bluster” or “hyperbole” or whatnot. But a lie is a lie is a lie is a lie is a lie.
— The Empire of Baloney. Kevin D. Williamson /The Dispatch May 11, 2026
My advice: be mindful that fact-checker claims may not be the final word on a subject, even if they sound reasonable and probably are true, at least in a literal or limited sense. Stay open to the possibility that further inquiry may yield new facts that change the story.