Will Google add blue ticks for verified sites in search results?

Google is testing a new site verification feature in its search engine to help users avoid landing on fake or fraudulent sites. Users began to notice checkmarks next to the names of verified companies in search results. When hovering over such a tick, a message appears: “This marking indicates that this business is exactly what it claims to be.”

This approach is similar to Gmail’s Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature, where verified companies receive a checkmark next to the sender’s name. Google has not made an official announcement about the full launch of this feature or its wide-scale implementation.

Previously, Tim Liebert, a former Google engineer, created WebXray search engine to help you see exactly how websites track user activity.

He got the idea for WebXray while in graduate school while researching cookies and advertising technology. WebXray’s goal is to make it easier to identify companies that track users so that prosecutors and other interested parties can better understand the situation. Liebert believes that while laws protecting online privacy already exist, regulators often lack the resources to effectively enforce them. He hopes WebXray will help accelerate change in the industry and increase transparency in online tracking.

The free version of WebXray provides access to 25 daily searches and basic cookie analysis. Paid users get a more detailed analysis of privacy breaches, which can be useful for law firms or technology companies seeking to comply with the law.