FactChecker Pro - Chrome Extension

A Google Chrome extension that fact-checks statements in real-time, similar to Grammarly but for factual accuracy. The extension analyzes text on web pages and highlights potentially inaccurate or unsourced factual claims with suggestions for improvement.

Features

• Real-time Fact Checking: Automatically scans web pages for factual statements
• Smart Pattern Recognition: Identifies claims about statistics, dates, studies, and more
• Visual Highlighting: Highlights potentially problematic statements with red underlines
• Interactive Tooltips: Hover over highlights to see detailed explanations and suggestions
• Clickable Source Links: Direct links to verify information with original sources
• Customizable Settings: Toggle features on/off and adjust behavior
• Statistics Tracking: Monitor how many facts have been checked and issues found
• Modern UI: Clean, professional interface similar to Grammarly

Installation

Method 1: Load as Unpacked Extension (Development)

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
3. Enable "Developer mode" in the top right corner
4. Click "Load unpacked" and select the extension folder
5. The extension should now appear in your extensions list

Method 2: Create Icons (Required)

Before using the extension, you need to create icon files:

1. Create three PNG icon files:

   • icons/icon16.png (16x16 pixels)
   • icons/icon48.png (48x48 pixels)
   • icons/icon128.png (128x128 pixels)

2. You can use any image editor or online icon generator to create these icons

Usage

1. Enable the Extension: Click the FactChecker Pro icon in your Chrome toolbar
2. Browse Normally: The extension will automatically scan web pages for factual statements
3. Review Highlights: Look for red-highlighted text that may contain factual issues
4. Hover for Details: Mouse over highlighted text to see explanations and suggestions
5. Adjust Settings: Use the popup to customize the extension's behavior

How It Works

Fact Detection

The extension uses pattern matching to identify potential factual statements:

• Statistics: Numbers with percentages, millions, billions
• Dates: Years, dates, historical references
• Comparative Claims: "more than", "less than", "higher", "lower"
• Absolute Statements: "always", "never", "100%", "every"
• Research Claims: "studies show", "research indicates"
• Measurements: Quantities with units (miles, pounds, degrees)
• Institutions: Universities, colleges, research centers
• Historical Events: Time-based references

Fact Checking Process

1. Text Analysis: Scans page content for factual patterns
2. Statement Extraction: Identifies individual factual claims
3. Issue Detection: Checks for common factual problems
4. Highlighting: Marks problematic statements with visual indicators
5. Suggestions: Provides improvement recommendations
6. Source Verification: Links to original sources for fact verification

Source Links

The extension provides direct links to verify information with original sources:

• Wikipedia: Links to specific articles for reference checking
• World Bank: Links to data pages for economic and demographic facts
• Google Fact Check: Links to the fact-checking database
• OpenAI: Links to research resources
• Google Natural Language: Links to API documentation

Users can click on source links in tooltips to open the original sources in new tabs for verification.

Settings

• Auto-check facts: Automatically scan new content
• Highlight issues: Show visual indicators for problems
• Show suggestions: Display improvement recommendations

Current Limitations

This is a demonstration version with mock fact-checking. For production use, you would integrate with:

• Snopes API: For fact-checking verification
• FactCheck.org API: For political fact-checking
• Google Fact Check API: For general fact verification
• OpenAI API: For AI-powered fact analysis
• Wikipedia API: For reference checking

Development

File Structure

├── manifest.json          # Extension configuration
├── popup.html            # Extension popup interface
├── popup.css             # Popup styling
├── popup.js              # Popup functionality
├── content.js            # Content script for page analysis
├── background.js         # Background service worker
├── styles.css            # Content script styling
├── icons/                # Extension icons
│   ├── icon16.png
│   ├── icon48.png
│   └── icon128.png
└── README.md             # This file

Adding Real Fact-Checking APIs

To integrate with real fact-checking services, modify the mockFactCheck function in content.js:

async function realFactCheck(statement) {
    // Example: Snopes API integration
    const response = await fetch('https://api.snopes.com/v2/fact-check/search', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {
            'Content-Type': 'application/json',
            'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
        },
        body: JSON.stringify({ query: statement })
    });
    
    const data = await response.json();
    return {
        hasIssues: data.rating === 'false' || data.rating === 'mixture',
        issues: data.explanation ? [data.explanation] : [],
        suggestions: data.suggestions || [],
        confidence: data.confidence || 0.8
    };
}

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Support

For issues or questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

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Note: This extension is for educational and demonstration purposes. Always verify information from multiple reliable sources for important decisions.