7 Steps To Fact-Check an Image Online

These tips will help you identify misinformation through images

Arnold Wafula
3 min readMar 28, 2023
Photo by Pixabay

Introduction

The Internet is the present and the future. In Kenya, internet usage is widespread since millions have mobile phones. According to World Bank data, in 2020, 30% of the population had internet access. That is a high number compared to neighboring Tanzania which ranked at 22%, Rwanda at 24%, and Uganda far below at 6.1%.

Despite being the future, it’s a strange place that you should be careful about how to navigate. Starting March 20th, 2023, weekly anti-government protests on Mondays have engulfed the streets of Nairobi. Amid these, misinformation is rampant on social media, especially Twitter — the most popular news social media platform.

Below is a tweet with an image of a sheep inside a car, which the public might presume was stolen during the Northlands farm raid on March 27th, 2023.

Tweet With The Image

To fact-check the shared images, follow these steps;

Step 1: Download The Image To Your Device.

Click the three dots at the top right of the tweet and select “Save.”

Saving The Image In The Tweet

If you use a browser, right-click the image and select “Save image as.”

Step 2: Go To The Google Home Page And Click The Camera Icon.

Google Home Page

Step 3: Select The Downloaded Image From Your Device.

Upload Image

Alternatively, paste the image link in the bar below.

Step 4: Expand The Corners To Cover The Entire Image.

Expand Image Corners

Step 5: Scroll Through The Visual Matches.

Visual Matches

Step 6: Select The Most Credible Result Based On Recency.

I chose the article from huffingtonpost.co.uk, originally published on November 25, 2016. NB: Always choose the earliest published source.

Selected Visual Match

Step 7: Done!! 🥳

Huffingtonpost Article
Original Tweet Containing The Image

The image first appeared on a tweet by @Eusebius on December 13, 2014.

Conclusion

With that said the next time you come across an image on the internet, and want to verify its authenticity, follow the seven steps. Be sure to share the article with your friends and family.

Thank you for reading 🥳. Tap the “Give a tip” button below the article to support me.

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Arnold Wafula
Arnold Wafula

Written by Arnold Wafula

NATIVE ANDROID DEVELOPER & TECHNICAL WRITER. OPEN TO GIGS. CONTACT ME AT arnold.wafula0@gmail.com

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