Method of and system for fact checking email

• US 8,510,173 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Myslinski, Lucas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US13/760,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 188 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 fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.

Claims

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

a. automatically fact checking an email to determine a factual accuracy of the email by comparing, with the device, the email with source information, wherein fact checking occurs after the email is sent; and

b. automatically indicating a status of the email based on a result of the comparison of the email with the source information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising marking the email such that factually inaccurate statements are indicated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the email is indicated as spam if the email is factually inaccurate.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the email is determined to be factually inaccurate if a number of factual inaccuracies in the email exceeds a threshold.

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 1 wherein the source information comprises a plurality of sources, and each source of the plurality of sources has a reliability rating.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the reliability rating is based on the accuracy of information within a source.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a first source with a high reliability rating is given more weight during fact checking than a second source with a lower reliability rating.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein a source with the reliability rating below a reliability threshold is not used in fact checking.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the reliability threshold is a user-specified threshold.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the reliability rating is based on previous fact checking results.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the reliability rating is determined by an impartial organization.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the reliability rating is determined by users.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking includes analyzing causation within the email.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the source information comprises user-selected sources for fact checking.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein sources of the source information are clustered to enable selecting of a cluster of sources to be used for fact checking.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein sources of the source information are selected based on characteristics of each source.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking occurs when the email is opened.

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

a. automatically receiving, with the device, a fact check result based on a comparison of email content with source information, wherein fact checking occurs after the email is sent; and

b. automatically providing the fact check result through an email system indicating the factual accuracy of the email content.

20. A device comprising:

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

i. fact checking an email by comparing the email with source information, wherein fact checking begins based on a user input, further wherein fact checking occurs after the email is sent;

ii. indicating a status of the email based on a result of the comparison of the email with the source information; and

iii. marking the email such that factually inaccurate statements are indicated; and

b. a processor for processing the application.