With an impressive rating of 4.32 out of 5, the
Chrome extension
we'll be discussing today has garnered quite the reputation among journalists, fact-checkers, and human rights defenders. This powerful tool serves as a verification "Swiss army knife" for those looking to save time and be more efficient in their fact-checking and debunking tasks, particularly on social networks.
Award-Winning and Highly Praised
The accolades for this
browser
extension don't stop at its rating. In fact, it won the US Paris Tech challenge first prize award from the US Department Global Engagement Center (GEC). The Poynter Institute, home of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), considers it "one of the most powerful tools for spotting misinformation online."
An Array of Useful Features
This extension is a comprehensive toolbox that offers various tools to aid in the verification process. Some of its standout features include:
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Quick access to contextual information on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube images and videos
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Reverse image search capabilities using popular search engines like Google, Yandex, Bing, Tineye, Baidu, and Karma Decay
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Access to the Database of Known Fakes (DBKF) for quick verification
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Video fragmentation from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Daily Motion
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Enhancement and exploration of keyframes and images with a magnifying lens
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Efficient querying of Twitter through time intervals and a Social Network Analysis module
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Reading of video and image metadata, checking video copyrights, and searching for fact checks
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Enhanced forensic toolbox for images suspected of manipulation
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CheckGIF feature to create GIFs and reveal image manipulations
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Assistant feature to guide users in choosing the right tool for their verification work
User-Friendly and Multilingual
The developers of this extension have ensured that it is user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience. It is currently available in English, French, Spanish, and Greek languages. Additionally, there is a demo and classroom section that provides examples of manipulated images or videos, along with explanations and media literacy tools and tips for teachers and scholars.
Privacy and Feedback
Concerned about privacy? Rest assured that this plugin respects your privacy, and no personal data is recorded. While Google Analytics is used to better understand usage, you have the option to opt-out. The developers of this extension have also implemented measures to prevent misuse of certain features, such as Twitter SNA, CheckGIF, and GIF export on the forensic toolkit, which are reserved for fact-checkers, journalists, and researchers.
User feedback is highly valued, and there is a convenient feedback button available directly in the interface. Users are encouraged to report any bugs, issues (providing the link of the media to be checked), or suggestions for improvements. The development team welcomes and relies on user feedback to enhance the extension further.
Achievements and Future Development
This Chrome extension has been developed through three EU-funded research projects, including the InVID European project, the WeVerify project, and the current Horizon vera.ai project. The Horizon vera.ai project aims to utilize artificial intelligence in the fight against disinformation, enhancing existing AI tools and co-creating new ones with end-users.
Conclusion
With its outstanding rating and an array of powerful features, this Chrome extension has proven itself as an invaluable tool for fact-checkers, journalists, and human rights defenders. Its ease of use, multilingual support, and commitment to privacy make it a top choice for those seeking to combat misinformation online. Don't miss out on this must-have extension for your browser!
10 Reviews For This Extension
Failed first time and after 4 attempts. Slow - server in another country. Useless.
Nice Distraction Play! Mentioning Devs and Tools that 99% will never have a chance using! Also, quietly requiring everyone to serve as unpaid Data-Divers, -Harvesters, and -Miners. (I have full credentials and National Party/State Party, NGPVAN, et al. Lic/Cert if needed to avoid Flagging and Sanitising my Speech/Post. Trying to inform and Help People, the first Duty/Obligation expected of all Journalists).
Advanced (eg: usable) tools are locked. Deep learning image filters reduced to "Fusion", and it's locked too. Only the one-click reverse image search usable for me.
"The advanced tools are locked" yep, using data from all who installed it, but hiding the benefits to a very small groups
★★★★★ The extension in general is great. Easy to reverse search images/videos. Nice tool to debunk fake media. Also the recent update has made it more user friendly :) 12/23/2021 ★★☆☆☆ edit: Video fragmentation not working properly. Please fix :(
Does what it says and does it best! Gotta respect such an awesome app
It's clean, smart, low-overhead, fast -- and does just what it promises to do.
Very helpful to bust fake videos. I actually downloaded as in India we have serious trouble with enormous amounts of fake videos circulating and shared over the social media. Fake information are being generated to create communal hatred which in turn results in disharmony and results in riots and tensions. All these for political gains! Even the government does this.
its very helpfull to check facts
Great tool that facilitates the verification of online videos!