Visual Disinformation
Eyes on the Visuals

Looking for the best go-to tool for spotting visual disinformation? Here’s why you should know about the reverse search tool, and a simple guide to use it.

By Christina Helberg

Misinformation often ends up spreading quicker than the truth, however, the circulation of false information is particularly extreme in situations that are sensationally newsworthy. Whenever events like wars, terror attacks, accidents, natural disasters, or elections take place, the whole picture can be unclear and confusing at first. These situations are met with an extraordinary search for information online, which becomes the ideal breeding ground for false claims. Fact-checking teams around the globe work overtime to counter headline-worthy situations, and everyone should be especially careful sharing unverified online content with friends and family.

The tactics and narratives of those trying to spread misinformation are often defined by a few typical characteristics. Misinformation often tries to address negative emotions like worry or fear. Therefore, claims are often matched with inaccurate information like exaggerated crime rates or criminality in general.

The most common characteristic that we see globally while debunking misinformation is that false content tends to assign blame. Misinformation is used worldwide to specifically target minorities, based on such distinctions as ethnicity or religion. These claims prove to be especially dangerous for those accused and have sadly claimed lives of many innocent people around the world. Other clues to identify misinformation can be missing or false sources and exaggerated, alarmist or polarizing language.

While we dig through these vast amounts of claims online, we see a pattern of images and videos that are used to misinform. The most common trick involves use of old images and videos that are taken out of context and falsely associated with recent events. Fortunately, there are simple ways to uncover such fakes – often in just a few seconds. A common method is a reverse image or video search, which anyone with a smartphone can carry out in just a few seconds.

Be a digital detective

Reverse image searching is your ultimate tool to being a digital detective for the images you see online. You can take an image and feed it into search engines like Google to find out where it appeared online before, or if there are similar pictures out there. It is a handy trick to figure out if a picture is telling the truth, or if someone is trying to trick you. For example, if a picture is shared with a fake story, using reverse image search can help you uncover the real story. This is an important method in making sure what you see online is real and correct.

A key tip is to always check the original sources and examine the credibility of the websites where the image or video appears, or the accounts that shared the content. While conducting a reverse image search to crosscheck its context, it is also important to trace the earliest instances of the image online. This can lead to the picture’s original source.

Follow this simple guide to check any image you come across online:

Step 1: Upload the picture or video

First your image or video needs to make its way into a search engine with a reverse image search feature. For this, there are several options. You can save the picture on your device or copy the image link and upload it. Or you can simply click on the image on your smartphone and then select the menu item ‘send to Google Images’ or ‘search with Google Lens/Bing’. Your search engine will show you similar images and where the image has appeared online before.

Step 2: Check sources and follow the experts

Now look at the search results containing the picture or video. While a reverse image search provides valuable insights, the results should be approached with caution and investigated with further fact-checking. The search engine displays images similar or identical to the one uploaded, but it doesn't independently verify the accuracy of the content. The presence of an image on various websites does not guarantee its authenticity or context. Misleading or altered images can circulate widely, and the search results might include instances where the image was shared without accurate information.

Therefore, it is crucial to dig deeper, examine the sources, and cross-reference information to ensure the reliability of the image or video before drawing any conclusions. A great shortcut is to look out for articles or videos that include the picture or video you are looking for, and are published by a recognized fact-checking organization. Trust only established experts and fact-checking organizations who are the real experts fighting misinformation.

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) is the most renown Fact-Checking Association globally. It sets a code of principles that fact-checking organizations adhere to such as ensuring transparency, non-partisanship, fairness, and a commitment to corrections. The IFCN also grants verification to fact-checking organizations that meet these rigorous standards and, by doing so, it helps the public to identify reliable sources for fact-based information, thereby combating the spread of misinformation. You can find a list of all current signatories on their website, ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org

Help everyone stay informed

If you have detected disinformation sent to you by a friend or a colleague, it is essential to respond with a thoughtful and responsible approach. First, avoid sharing the misleading content further to prevent its spread. Consider privately reaching out to the sender, expressing your concern, and asking for the source or context of the image.

Encourage a constructive conversation rather than a confrontational one, as people may have shared this information unintentionally. Politely share your findings if you have conducted a reverse image search or fact-check. Promote the importance of verifying information before sharing and suggest reliable sources for accurate news. By promoting media literacy, you contribute to a more informed and responsible digital society.