Google has expanded its “About this image” feature to more platforms, including Circle to Search and Google Lens. This enhancement provides users with additional ways to gain context about the images they come across online.
New Access Points
The “About this image” tool, which provides details about an image’s origins and usage, is now accessible via:
- Google Lens: Available in the Google app for both Android and iO
- Circle to Search: A feature on certain Android devices
Functionality & Usage
You can access the feature using different methods based on the platform:
For Circle to Search:
- Long-press the home button or navigation bar.
- Circle or tap the image on your screen.
- Swipe up on the search results and select the “About this image” tab.
For Google Lens:
- Choose the image and tap the “About this image” tab.
- Take a screenshot of or download the image.
- Open the Google app and tap the Lens icon.
Information Provided
The tool provides various details about images, including:
- Identification of AI-generated images, including specific watermark
- How other websites use and describe the image
- Metadata associated with the image
Availability & Language Support
The “About this image” feature is available in 40 languages worldwide, including French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Broader Context
This expansion arrives at a time when digital literacy and verifying online information are more crucial than ever.
While these tools can be valuable, they are not perfect. Users should continue to critically assess information and consult multiple sources when verifying claims or images online.
How Does This Help You?
Here’s how the expansion of Google’s “About this image” feature can assist you:
- Help you understand an image’s history and context, aiding in the protection against visual manipulation tactics commonly used in scams.
- Quickly verify claims linked to images.
- Learn the origin of an image and track its usage across the web.
- Identify whether a visual content is created by humans or AI.
- Offer a swift way for students, journalists, and researchers to gather context and potential sources related to an image.
Related Algorithm Update: Combating Explicit Deepfakes
Today, Google announced an update to its algorithm aimed at addressing explicit deepfakes in search results.
Key aspects of this update include:
- Enhanced Content Removal: When a removal request is approved, the system will also attempt to filter out similar explicit results across related searches for the affected individual.
- Ranking Adjustments: The search algorithm has been adjusted to lower the visibility of explicit fake content. For searches involving people’s names and explicit content, Google will now prioritize non-explicit results, such as news articles.
- Site-Wide Impact: Websites with multiple pages removed due to explicit fake imagery may experience changes in their overall search rankings.
Google reports that these changes have led to a more than 70% reduction in the exposure of explicit image results for targeted searches.
By making it easier to identify fake images and algorithmically addressing deepfakes, Google is reinforcing its commitment to ensuring that search results remain safe and trustworthy.
Original news from SearchEngineJournal