Story at-a-glance

If you rely on NewsGuard's ratings, you may decide to entirely skip by articles with a low "red" rating in favor of the "more trustworthy" green-rated articles — and therein lies the problem

NewsGuard is in itself fraught with conflicts of interest, as it's largely funded by Publicis, a global communications giant that's partnered with Big Pharma, such that it may be viewed more as a censorship tool than an internet watchdog

NewsGuard has expanded its partnership with Microsoft, co-founded by Bill Gates, which will provide all users of Microsoft Edge browser free access to its questionable ratings

Also under the agreement is Microsoft's continued sponsorship of NewsGuard's news literacy program, which put NewsGuard in more than 700 public libraries from Los Angeles to London, serving more than 7 million patrons

Publicis announced that it would acquire marketing services company Epsilon in a $4.4 billion deal

NewsGuard is just another big business aimed at keeping the chemical, drug and food industries, as well as mainstream media, intact by discrediting and eliminating unwanted competition, including yours truly and many others who empower you with information that helps you take control of your health

NewsGuard, which bills itself at "the internet trust tool," is among the latest technology tools claiming to rate information as reliable or fake news, supplying you with a color-coded rating system next to Google and Bing searches, as well as on articles displayed on social media.

If you rely on NewsGuard's ratings, you may decide to entirely skip by those with a low "red" rating in favor of the "more trustworthy" green-rated articles — and therein lies the problem. NewsGuard is in itself fraught with conflicts of interest, as it's largely funded by Publicis, a global communications giant that's partnered with Big Pharma, such that it may be viewed more as a censorship tool than an internet watchdog.

Now, NewsGuard has expanded its partnership with Microsoft, co-founded by Bill Gates, which will provide all users of Microsoft Edge browser free access to its questionable ratings, among other services.

NewsGuard Expands Partnership With Microsoft

Under Microsoft's NewsGuard expansion, people who use Microsoft Edge's desktop and mobile browser will have free access to NewsGuard's ratings, which otherwise must be purchased via a $2.95 monthly subscription fee. Microsoft's Bing search engine will also have NewsGuard ratings in real-time, while all other Microsoft departments will also be able to use NewsGuard ratings in their products and services.1

"Projects already underway include the company's Defending Democracy Program and teams within Microsoft Research who are working on misinformation, disinformation and health care hoaxes," according to a NewsGuard press release.2

Also under the agreement is Microsoft's continued sponsorship of NewsGuard's news literacy program, which is a "unique media literacy teaching tool that guides citizens through the overwhelming landscape of online news and information."3 More than 700 public libraries from Los Angeles to London, serving more than 7 million patrons, currently use NewsGuard.

The news literacy program exists in the U.S., Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, and with the expanded partnership it's expected to roll out in Australia, Canada and other countries in 2020.4