If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that “fake news” has found its home on social media. While fake posts are often news stories, they can also be images that people share, sometimes without the knowledge that what they’re sharing isn’t factual.
As we have previously reported, posts being shared about the war in Ukraine are rife with disinformation. Videos have been repurposed from other global conflicts and video games, while images are being posted on propaganda-driving accounts in the form of emotionally charged memes, posters, and random images that were taken completely out of context.
It’s a minefield out there, but with a little extra thought and a reverse image search you are far more likely to catch fake news.
How can a reverse image search help spot fake news?
Through reverse image searching, you can quickly see where and when a picture has been shared. Scrolling down to when the image was first posted can give reveal the true date it is from. If the results come back long before the supposed depicted date, you can clearly spot this source as fake.
How to use reverse image search on Google Images
Google’s reverse image search is a breeze on a desktop computer. If you’re using Chrome, you can search for images by simply right-clicking them and selecting “Search Google for image” from the drop-down menu.
If you don’t have Chrome, other browsers are also just as simple. The Google Images webpage has an option to “Search by image,” click on this and go to “Upload an image” to choose the picture you would like to search.
How to use reverse image search on TinEye
TinEye is just as simple, all you need to do is drag and drop the image on the webpage. Through the site’s image identification technology, it can also come back with results explaining the legitimacy of your search.
What to do when you spot a fake post?
TinEye allows you to easily post your results to social media which helps spread your knowledge about the truth behind an image. If you realize an image in a post online is actually from a fake source, you can let the person who shared it know and show them your evidence and report the source it’s coming from.
