Chula University Partners with AFP and Google to Combat Fake News with Digital Verification Tools

In an age where misinformation spreads at lightning speed, Chulalongkorn University’s Communication Center has joined forces with global news agency AFP and the Google News Initiative to equip journalists and social media users with essential fact-checking skills.

“Real or fake?” This critical question should be on everyone’s mind before sharing content online, especially as smartphones have democratized content creation and distribution, making verification more crucial than ever.

The collaboration has resulted in the “FACT CHECK: Digital Investigation Techniques Workshop,” where participants learn three fundamental verification methods designed to combat the rising tide of misinformation that threatens social cohesion and even national security.

“The goal is to encourage critical media literacy so users are less vulnerable to manipulation by fake news, particularly photos and videos, which are among the most difficult content types to verify,” explained Sophia Xu, AFP’s Digital Training Manager for the Asia-Pacific region, who led the training.

Tracking Images to Their Source

The first technique focuses on identifying an image’s original publisher and publication date. In today’s digital ecosystem, images are frequently repurposed with new captions or contexts, leading viewers to draw false connections between the visual content and accompanying text.

Google Lens offers a straightforward solution accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Users can upload an image, select “About this image” and “Exact matches” to reveal where the image has appeared online and how long it has been circulating.

“Users should verify ‘where’ and ‘by whom’ an image was first published by checking the publication date in the search results,” Xu advised. “This process should be repeated until the original image is found and cross-checked against multiple sources.”

Alternative platforms like Yandex, Microsoft Bing, TinEye, and Baidu provide similar reverse image search capabilities. For video verification, the InVID-WeVerify plugin can extract key frames from videos for analysis through these same search engines.

Mapping Visual Evidence

Even after identifying an image’s source, questions may remain about where the depicted event actually occurred. The workshop taught participants to analyze visual clues such as flags, signage, architecture, and geographic features.

“Such indicators aren’t foolproof,” Xu cautioned. “For instance, seeing a national flag doesn’t guarantee the photo was taken in that country—it could be from an exhibition abroad or simply used as decoration.”

Google Maps serves as a powerful verification tool in these situations. By combining visual analysis with preliminary location hypotheses, users can compare the image against Street View to confirm location details. The platform also allows for viewing historical imagery, which is particularly valuable when landscapes have changed over time.

Finding Eyewitnesses

The third verification technique involves identifying genuine eyewitnesses to events. This begins with establishing when and where an incident occurred, then considering which language and social platforms would be most relevant to that location.

For location-based verification, users can extract geocode coordinates from Google Maps and use them in social media searches. On X (formerly Twitter), for example, entering “geocode:” followed by coordinates and a radius parameter (e.g., “13.73375231265437,100.5284130790436,3km”) reveals posts made within that specific area.

“By doing so, you can see what topics local users in that area are posting and discussing. These posts can serve as potential eyewitness accounts,” Xu explained.

Additionally, metadata embedded in original photos can provide crucial verification information. The InVID-WeVerify plugin can extract details such as GPS coordinates, device information, and capture date from unaltered images.

Ongoing Education Initiative

These verification techniques represent just the foundation of a comprehensive fact-checking process. For journalists and citizens interested in developing stronger digital literacy skills, AFP offers a free online fact-checking course through AFP Digital Courses, complete with digital certification upon completion.

As misinformation continues to challenge media consumers, initiatives like this collaboration between Chulalongkorn University, AFP, and Google provide essential tools for navigating an increasingly complex information landscape—empowering both content creators and everyday users to become more responsible digital citizens.