Google updates search algorithms to tackle deepfakes and expands the image information feature

Google has announced several new features to improve how Google Search handles deepfake content and has expanded its “About this image” feature. These updates are designed to enhance search accuracy and provide more context for images found online.

Deepfakes in Google Search

Google has made two significant changes to its search engine’s handling of deep fakes. First, it has updated its ranking system to ensure that deep fake content does not appear prominently in search results. Second, it has made it easier for individuals to remove deep fakes from Google Search.

When searching for content with a high risk of being explicitly fake, Google’s search ranking system now prioritises legitimate news articles. This change is expected to lower the visibility of explicit fake content in search results. Google’s Product Manager, Emma Higham, stated that the updates have already improved this area by 70%.

Additionally, Google has enhanced its ability to differentiate between real, consensual explicit content, such as actor nude scenes, and non-consensual deepfake content. While challenging, these improvements aim to improve the surface of legitimate content and downrank explicit fake content.

Google’s method for achieving this involves detecting patterns among websites. If a site has many pages removed under Google’s policies, it signals that it is of low quality, influencing how other pages are ranked. Consequently, sites with numerous removals for fake explicit imagery are demoted in search rankings.

Google has streamlined the process of removing deepfakes. When someone successfully requests the removal of non-consensual explicit fake content, Google’s systems will filter out all explicit results in similar searches about that person.

About this image: Expanded features and accessibility

Initially launched a year ago, Google’s “About this image” feature was expanded to Circle, Search, and Google Lens. This feature is akin to the “About this result” for text-based search results, providing valuable context about images.

How it works:

• Image usage and description: You can see how an image is used on other pages and what other sources, such as news and fact-checking sites, say about it. This information helps assess the claims made about an image and provides evidence and perspectives from various sources.
• Metadata: Metadata offers more information about an image, including its creator and creation details. Metadata can be added or removed by the person who posts the image. When available, you’ll see metadata that image creators and publishers have added, including fields indicating AI generation or enhancement.
• Digital watermark: The feature identifies if an image was generated using AI, provided it contains Google DeepMind’s SynthID watermark embedded within its pixels.

“About this Image” is available in 40 languages, including French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. It is rolling out on Circle to Search for select Android devices like the latest Samsung and Pixel phones, foldables, and tablets, and on Google Lens, available in the Google app for both Android and iOS.

Additionally, when an image is removed from Google Search, Google will scan and remove any duplicates of that image from its index.

Nidhi Hebbar, Senior Product Manager at Google, announced that “About this image” is rolling out to Circle to Search and Google Lens, providing more ways to get context on images encountered across the internet quickly.