Google and Facebook have partnered up in the fight against fake news in France ahead of the presidential election in April, responding to sustained criticism that they have not done enough to crack down on hoax news stories.
The US technology groups announced they were part of Crosscheck, an industry coalition which includes Buzzfeed News and others, that is working to fight fake news online by helping the public gauge the truthfulness of online media.
Last month, the European Commission fired a warning at the groups, saying they would face action from Brussels if they did not take actions to prevent the viral spread of false news, including one claiming Germany’s oldest church was set on fire by a mob of 1,000 refugees.