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How can I remove/hide the "Fact check" section from Google News?

It contains a lot of incorrect claims and clickbaits, which I don't wish to see.

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3 Answers 3

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Adblock Plus allows for the creation of "Rules", which I feel is the right path to blocking trash like "Fact Check". I invested minimal time and found an 80% solution since it hides the "Fact Check" section along with the "Spotlight" and the "Weather" sections.

Here is the filter that will block the entire right panel that loads when viewing Google News:

news.google.com##aside

Keep reading for more detailed thoughts on the matter:

This rule is quick and simple, but not perfect. If Adblock made some changes I could use regex to really narrow it down and cut out just the "Fact Check" section. The challenge is Google dynamically generates various variables when the page is loaded and also assigns the random values to multiple elements; however, the section is still called "Fact Check" and always will be. This allows for blocking/hiding, but Adblock would need to allow for someone to make a regex rule ANDed with a site. Instead of a "capture group" in Regex the parentheses() could be made into the code blocking or hiding group, which would enable an easy and powerful way to block lots of embedded trash the internet has to offer.

My example regex pseudo-code concept if Adblock could do it would be:

site:news.google.com AND /(<div class=[any-character+newline]{1,100}<div class="[any-character+newline]{1,1000}>Fact check<\/h2>[any-character+newline]{1,50000}<\/article><\/div><\/div>)/

The above could be modified, but this format "captures" the entire "Fact Check" section for blocking or hiding.

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Below is a Greasemonkey/Tampermonkey userscript.js to remove this section.

The script uses a timer to ensure Google doesn't add the section back using repeated Ajax calls.

Note that Greasemonkey userscripts can now be run in iOS (since iOS 15), thanks to newly allowed Content Blockers. Search the App Store for "free userscript app."

// ==UserScript==
// @name         j_goognews
// @namespace    NoWhereInParticular
// @author       
// @description  Remove News sections from Google News
// @version      0.0.1
// @include      https://news.google.com/*
// ==/UserScript==

(function () {
  'use strict';
  // Interval
  window.setInterval(function () {
    let allElements = document.querySelectorAll('.Vfdmcb');
    allElements.forEach((element) => {
      element.parentNode.removeChild(element);
    });   
    // console.log("Interval Fired!");
  }, 2000);
})();
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I clicked the more icon (hamburger menu button) that appears after you mouse over the article heading and then blocked the source. Did this to all those in the fact check section and its gone.

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  • Although it may be true, it sounds that he'll need to do it every time it shows this, so it makes it a bit redundant. Commented Jun 1, 2018 at 15:33
  • This worked for me, except its not hamburger anymore, it is 3 dots. Google can get so annoying at times, forcing things by default, but glad they gave us a work around.
    – killjoy
    Commented May 4, 2021 at 16:30
  • Thank you, one thinks of the simplest last.
    – jMike
    Commented Dec 17, 2022 at 8:09
  • I was able to hide all Fact Check sources except one: "Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka". This source kept showing up no matter how many times I told it to hide it in the menu. Not sure why.
    – Alex
    Commented Nov 19, 2023 at 17:27

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