We are living in a day and age when a lot of content is created in only one second. Since this is the fact, it’s no surprise that a lot of news and other sorts of content can be described as fake. The number of this fake content has become quite high in the last couple of years. Furthermore, we can see that not even the most powerful in the world are protected from it.
The most obvious example is the case of South African president, Jacob Zuma. His photography when he dances in a certain event was changed and it looked like he dances with a South African star singer, Babes Wodumo. For a lot of time, people believed this photo to be legit. However, we can see that it turned out to be fake in the end.
The creation of fake content is now much easier than it ever was. Even when we are talking about images. You can create practically anything with a proper tool. If you want to take a look at one of these tools, be sure to take a look at Doakio. With that said, it is crucial to learn the difference between legit and fake photos online. Let’s see how you can tell the difference. It is harder than many people believe.
1. Look for the Source
The most obvious way to find out the truth about a certain image is to look for the source that spawned other versions. To do that, you should perform a process called “reverse image search”. The process consists of uploading the image on certain software and the background will be compared to all the similar images that can be found online. Even though the database is limitless, it will be done quickly.
In a matter of seconds, you will be provided with a high number of pictures you can compare to the one you have found to. In most cases, you will be surprised to find that the image that has been credited as taken in 2024 is actually taken a decade ago. These tools have become popular in the last couple of years because of numerous fake content that has appeared. As you can see, this is the easiest way to perform this kind of search.
2. Bing Image Search
We will agree with the fact that practically every mobile device on the planet is filled with countless photos. The reason is that cameras have become much more accessible because of mobile devices. A high percentage of these will eventually end up on some social media platform. The same can be said about the photos taken by people who work for the official institutions and professionals as like.
When you are about to check the photo’s credibility, you can use a tool called Bing image search. Not only that you can find out whether the photo is credible, but you will also be provided with high-detailed information about all the aspects of the photo. Therefore, you see that Bing image search will provide you with much more than just a simple yes or no. Sure, it can be of great help in some cases.
To make your research more precise, you can crop out a certain part of the photo and run it through this software. We can see that this is the approach many people are not aware of. But the truth is that you can find the original photo by looking just at this small part of it much more efficiently. The reason is that there are a lot of similar images online.
3. Check Metadata
A vast majority of people are not aware of the fact that every digital photo has a wide array of different data, which can be found within its metadata. Sure, this information is an approach that can help you determine whether the image is authentic. Besides that, you will find about what was the camera model. Plus, you will see the GPS of the location where the image was taken.
Furthermore, you can see all the changes that have occurred since the original photo was taken. Above all, you can always take the look at who owns this photo. All of the data is stored inside the file, and it is possible to extract it by using a wide array of different software. Even when there were not many changes in this process, you will find all of it highly informative.
4. Rely on Experts or Communities
Last but not least, we would like to talk about the easiest way you can determine the reliability of the image you are looking at. We are talking about checking what experts and credible communities have to say about it. Sure, you will have a chance to avoid spending a couple of hours determining whether we are talking about a real photo or not.
Better yet, in case you have a lot of followers on your social media account, you can always post the image and ask your followers what they know about it. Without any doubt, people will provide you with all the information that can help you determine how accurate it is. Both of these approaches will help you to find out the truth without invest any effort into the process.
5. See If it is Already Debunked
Since there are countless fake images online, we can see that a high number of them are already debunked and marked as fake. As you can see, there are a plethora of cases that have been marked as fake and you should see whether that is the case with the one you have in front of you. In most cases, you will see that this is exactly what happened.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are numerous ways you can debunk a certain myth, especially when it comes to fake photos. Be sure to try all of these approaches and at least one of them will provide you with solid evidence.
