Web page fact checking system and method

• US 8,423,424 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Myslinski
• Inventors: Myslinski, Lucas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US13/669,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 161 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30

Abstract

A web page fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The web page fact checking system automatically analyzes the information, fact checks the information, and indicates a status of the information.

Claims

1. A method programmed in a non-transitory memory of a device comprising:

a. automatically accessing a web page;

b. automatically analyzing web page content of the web page;

c. automatically fact checking the web page content with the device by comparing the web page content with source information to determine the factual accuracy of the web page content, including computing a source result value based on source quantities and source ratings, wherein the source result value is used to determine a result of the fact checking, wherein fact checking includes a first fact check and a second fact check, wherein the first fact check and the second fact check each utilize a different set of fact checking criteria; and

d. automatically indicating a status of the web page content in real-time based on the result of the comparison of the web page content with the source information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically processing the web page content including parsing the web page into fact checkable portions, and wherein fact checking includes comparing the fact checkable portions with the source information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the web page content comprises an image or a video.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the web page content comprises an advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the source information comprises a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating based on the accuracy of information within each source of the plurality of sources, wherein the accuracy is determined based on previous fact checking results, wherein a first source with a first reliability rating is given more weight during fact checking than a second source with a second reliability rating lower than the first reliability rating, wherein each source of the plurality of sources with the reliability rating below a threshold is not used in fact checking.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the threshold is a user-specified threshold.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the reliability rating is generated using a combination of user-generated ratings and computer-generated ratings.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically indicating supplemental information including an importance rating indicating an importance of the web page content to a user wherein the importance rating is determined by:

i. classifying the web page content into a classification;

ii. comparing the classification with an importance selection; and

iii. generating the importance rating based on the comparison of the classification and the importance selection.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking includes analyzing causation within the web page content, further wherein the causation is determined by logical flaws within the web page content.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an advertisement based on the result.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a first advertisement based on the result and a second advertisement opposing the first advertisement.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically sending the result to a second device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the source information is ranked by popularity, and fact checking utilizes a most popular source information first and less popular source information in a descending order.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking is performed using cloud computing.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking comprises detecting a bias of the web page content.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting an entity within the web page content, and indicating a validity rating of the entity, wherein the validity rating includes statistical information regarding factual accuracy of comments made by the entity.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising highlighting any factually inaccurate web page content.

18. A method programmed in a non-transitory memory of a device comprising:

a. automatically analyzing web page content with the device; and

b. automatically highlighting, with the device, any factually inaccurate web page content based on a result of a fact checking comparison of the web page content with source information to determine the factual accuracy of the web page content, wherein the source information comprises a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating based on the accuracy of information within each source of the plurality of sources, wherein a higher rated source is given more weight during fact checking than a lower rated source, wherein each source of the plurality of sources with the reliability rating below a threshold is not used in fact checking.

19. A device comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application for automatically performing the following steps;

i. analyzing web page content wherein the web page content comprises social networking content;

ii. processing the web page content including parsing the web page content into fact checkable portions;

iii. fact checking the fact checkable portions by comparing the fact checkable portions with source information to determine the factual accuracy of the fact checkable portions, wherein the source information comprises a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating based on the accuracy of information within each source of the plurality of sources, wherein a higher rated source is given more weight during fact checking than a lower rated source, wherein each source of the plurality of sources with the reliability rating below a threshold is not used in fact checking;

iv. indicating a status of the web page content in real-time based on a result of the comparison of the fact checkable portions with the source information; and

v. displaying an advertisement based on the result; and

b. a processor for processing the application.

20. A device comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application for automatically performing the following steps;

i. analyzing web page content wherein the web page content comprises social networking content;

ii. processing the web page content including parsing the web page content into fact checkable portions;

iii. fact checking the fact checkable portions by comparing the fact checkable portions with source information to determine the factual accuracy of the fact checkable portions, wherein the source information comprises a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating based on the accuracy of information within each source of the plurality of sources, wherein a higher rated source is given more weight during fact checking than a lower rated source, wherein each source of the plurality of sources with the reliability rating below a threshold is not used in fact checking, wherein fact checking comprises detecting a bias of the web page content; and

iv. indicating a status of the web page content in real-time based on a result of the comparison of the fact checkable portions with the source information; and

b. a processor for processing the application.