A snippet on Google search showed data apparently about the UK but was actually from Germany…
View Email in Browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
Dear Friend,
In the newsletter this week...
* Is milk from cows fed Bovaer safe?
* Health secretary’s claims on smoking aren’t supported by the evidence
* Do MPs get a daily £56 breakfast allowance?
* Work for Full Fact
* Also this week...
But first...
Google’s search results and its AI overview gave misleading answers to questions about the number of crimes committed by asylum seekers in the UK—quoting figures that were actually from 2017 in Germany.
[link removed]
A misleading asylum seekers claim appearing on Google search
There’s no evidence these figures reflect the current crime rate among asylum seekers in the UK, though official data is limited and neither the Office for National Statistics nor the Home Office publish equivalent UK figures.
Find out more... ([link removed])
In recent months we’ve seen screenshots of some of these misleading Google search results circulated on social media.
When we contacted Google about this last week, a spokesperson said the company would use examples like this “to improve and take appropriate action under our policies”.
Following this, the misleading results seem to be no longer appearing in searches on the topic.
Internet companies should take care not to promote false or misleading information, particularly if it has the potential to cause harm.
Best wishes,
Craig, Digital Campaigns Manager—Full Fact
P.S. You might also remember when we uncovered Amazon Alexa attributing misinformation to Full Fact and other fact checkers. Not once ([link removed]) but twice ([link removed]) earlier this year.
** Is milk from cows fed Bovaer safe? ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
Posts circulating widely on social media claim that the methane-reducing cow feed additive Bovaer can cause cancer and is linked to Bill Gates. Readers have asked us about them.
Bovaer has been deemed safe by food safety authorities in the approved doses, and Bill Gates is not linked to Bovaer’s development. We’ve gone into more detail in our latest fact check on the subject.
Read more ([link removed])
Related:
* Did Gregg Wallace promise to ‘uncover the truth’ about cow food additive Bovaer? ([link removed])
[ Back to top] (##emailtop)
** Health secretary’s claims on smoking aren’t supported by the evidence ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
The Prime Minister has detailed a series of commitments—or “milestones”—in a major speech today unveiling the government’s new “Plan for Change”.
We’re already monitoring the government’s progress towards commitments made in its manifesto in our Government Tracker, which we launched last month. We will be updating this to reflect today’s announcements.
Read more ([link removed])
[ Back to top] (##emailtop)
** Do MPs get a daily £56 breakfast allowance? ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
A video on social media makes several incorrect claims about food allowances and subsidies for MPs. In the clip, a person reads out what she says is “the Terrace Cafeteria menu for yesterday”, which refers to one of several venues in the Houses of Parliament.
She then says: “They [MPs] get a £56 pound a day, I think it is, allowance. Breakfast allowance.”
But this is not correct—MPs do not receive a breakfast allowance of £56 a day. We’ve written about similar claims many times before.
Read more ([link removed])
[ Back to top] (##emailtop)
** Work for Full Fact
------------------------------------------------------------
** Video Producer ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Contract: Fixed Term Contract (12 months)
Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 pro-rata per annum depending on experience
Closing: 10am on Monday 27 January 2025
We’re recruiting for a Video Producer to craft engaging video content for our website and social media channels. If you’re passionate about video storytelling and love making complex topics clear, accessible and engaging then this could be the role for you.
** People Partner (maternity cover) ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Contract: Maternity cover (9 to 12 months)
Salary: £42,000 - £50,000 pro-rata per annum
Closing: 10am on Monday 13 January 2025
At Full Fact we care about people. We’re looking for a People Partner (maternity cover) to support our team in our remote-first working environment.
** Politics Journalist (Government Tracker) ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Contract: Fixed Term Contract (6 months)
Salary: £26,700 - £38,535
Closing: 10am on Monday 27 January 2025
We're recruiting a Politics Journalist to lead the work on our new Government Tracker. Help us hold the government to account on the delivery of its promises, and rebuild trust in UK politics.
** Policy Manager (Misinformation) ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £41,000 - £44,000 per annum
Closing: 10am Wednesday 15 January 2025
Full Fact fights bad information. We’re recruiting for a Policy Manager (Misinformation) to maximise our influence over how government and public bodies address the harms of bad information.
** Freelance Writer/Editor – Full Fact Report 2025 ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Fee: Between £5,000 - £6,000 in total (depending on experience) for approx. 15 days work between early February and end of March 2025.
Closing: 10am on Monday 13 January 2025
We’re looking for a talented copywriter or editor to work with us on our 2025 report on the state of misinformation. This is an exciting project which we hope will shape the impact of our work for months to follow.
[ Back to top] (##emailtop)
**
------------------------------------------------------------
* New York Times headline calling glorification of Luigi Mangione ‘anti-Israeli’ is fake ([link removed])
* The UK government hasn’t classified all porridge as ‘junk food’ ([link removed])
* Clip from Kentucky shooting range misleadingly shared as scenes in Syria ([link removed])
Read our latest fact checks ([link removed])
[ Back to top] (##emailtop)
Stop the spread of bad information
Find these updates useful? We'd be incredibly grateful if you could share our fact checks and help more people access good information.
[link removed] Share ([link removed])
[link removed]...: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Ffullfact%2Fgoogle-search-displayed-misleading-information-to-users Tweet ([link removed]...: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Ffullfact%2Fgoogle-search-displayed-misleading-information-to-users)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])
[link removed]... Share ([link removed]...)
All the best,
Team Full Fact
** How likely would you be to recommend that a friend, family member or colleague subscribes to receive emails from Full Fact?
------------------------------------------------------------
0 = Least likely - 10 = Most Likely
<a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 0</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 1</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 2</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 3</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 4</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 5</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 6</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 7</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 8</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 9</a><a href="[link removed]" target="_blank"> 10</a>
============================================================
** Follow us ([link removed])
** Follow us ([link removed])
** Like us ([link removed])
** Follow us ([link removed])
Have any questions or feedback? Please ** get in touch via our contact form ([link removed])
. We do not respond to direct replies to this email address.
Find out ** how Full Fact is funded ([link removed])
.
Copyright © Full Fact 2024 - All rights reserved
A registered charity (no. 1158683) and a non-profit company (no. 6975984) limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales.
Our mailing address is:
17 Oval Way, London, SE11 5RR
We use Mailchimp to send you our emails and to see which articles are most popular. ** Read our privacy policy ([link removed])
or ** Mailchimp's privacy policy ([link removed])
** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])
