Through the deal, NewsGuard, a platform that reviews and rate the credibility of websites and social media via trained journalists, will supply its ratings and nutrition labels to users of the Microsoft Edge browser, cross-platform, for free.
Users of other browsers pay a $2.95 monthly subscription fee.
NewsGuard will also deliver real-time data to Microsoft’s Bing search engine.
All departments within Microsoft will also have access to the ratings and labels, allowing them to apply those tools to projects like the Defending Democracy Program, which finds Microsoft Research teams working to counter misinformation, disinformation and health-care hoaxes.
Tom Burt, corporate vice president of customer security and trust, Microsoft, stated: “Defending against disinformation campaigns is a key focus of our Defending Democracy Program. NewsGuard’s work has become especially relevant because of its trailblazing efforts to root out online hoaxes related to health and healthcare issues, including those concerning COVID-19.”
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In addition to the new elements of the partnership, Microsoft will continue to sponsor NewsGuard’s new literacy program, which serves more than 700 libraries and 7 million patrons across the U.S., Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
The sponsorship will support NewsGuard as it expands its literacy program into new countries, such as Australia and Canada, later this year.