Google is testing a new verification feature in search that should help users avoid going to fake or fraudulent sites. Some users have begun to see checkmarks of verified sites next to the name of the company itself. This was reported by The Verge.
When you hover over the checkmark, the following message appears: “Google’s signals suggest that this business is the business that it says it is.”
The Brand Indicators for Message Identification feature in Gmail already uses a similar principle. Companies that have agreed to be verified have a similar checkmark next to the sender's name.
“We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google,” said Molly Shaheen, Google's public relations representative.
Google has not yet officially announced the release of this feature, nor has it announced whether it will be fully deployed.