Alphabet’s Google is testing showing checkmarks next to certain companies in its search results, a company spokesperson said Friday, in an effort to help users identify verified sources and to avoid fake websites.
Fraudulent websites impersonating official businesses or services could appear in online search results, leading users to see false information about the business, misleading them and potentially damaging the brand.
“We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we’re currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google,” the spokesperson said.
Google already uses automated systems to identify pages with “fraudulent” or fraudulent content and prevent them from appearing in search results.
The Verge reported the development earlier on Friday, adding that it had spotted verified blue checkmarks next to official site links from companies including Microsoft, Meta and Apple in search results.
According to The Verge, only some users were able to see this feature, indicating that Google has not yet generalized the test.
