LazyTruth is an inbox extension for Gmail that aims to combat emails full of political myths and urban legends, by checking the claims to tell you if what you’re reading is true or bogus. Developed by MIT Media Lab graduate Matt Stempeck and others, the Chrome extension scans your emails and checks the information in PolitiFact and FactCheck.org.

The extension surfaces pre-existing verified information to debunk rumors and is triggered by the unique phrases used in the most common viral emails tracked by factchecking and urban rumor websites. When you receive a viral email full of false claims, LazyTruth retrieves and displays a verified rebuttal right in your inbox, and provides you with the original sources.

Thanks to this contextual gadget, we can intervene directly at the moment when misinformation is delivered. The result is that it becomes much more convenient for citizens to combat misinformation, rather than acquiesce to its volume.

LazyTruth