Google Featured Snippets Gets Grief For Spreading "Fake" Information

[engine]

Recode summarises a number of stories around at the moment where fake information is being spread through the algorimically-challenged featured snippets.

[recode.net...]

I have reported incorrect information on these featured snippets in the past, having noticed errors.

The problem is that Google is taking other people's information, and not their own, and making it look the defacto answer. If that's the case it ought to be accurate, imho.

[MrSavage]

If you are going to present it as your own content (complete with an image) then you should own it. Better idea. Google can create the content themselves and display that just like the rest of the content creators.

[engine]

I agree, that's the problem in this instance, it's not Google's content and its algorithms give it as the best answer, spreading inaccuracy and misinformation.
Judge, jury and executioner, yet it didn't commit the crime.
It's a significant issue, imho.

Far better had it just stuck to the ten blue links, instead of answer boxes and knowledge graph panels, and let readers decide.

[toidi]

So all the little magic answer boxes people are putting in their homes are not necessarily giving the right answers. Google, why did i fail my social studies test?

[nonstop]

By creating the featured snippets section, Google is getting into the business of editorializing/curating, not just listing results from a relatively dumb algorithm.

Google wants to devolve it's self of all responsibility, by showing a short featured snippet it has found a loophole in the law that allows it to act as a editor/curator of content without any of the responsibilities of a publisher.

most people will take this content as fact, without investigating any further.

IMO this is another reason why Google needs to be regulated.

with great power comes great responsibility.