CheckFirst to join COM-PRESS project

COM-PRESS aims at combating disinformation by equipping journalists with new image manipulation insights and detection methods.

Starting this October 2022, Check First will join forces with IDLab-MEDIA (imec-UGent), imec-mict-UGent as well as Apache(De Werktitel cv) as media partner. Funded by the Flemish government’s Department of Culture, Youth & Media (Departement Cultuur Jeugd & Media), the research project will develop detection methods that journalists can use to detect and debunk image manipulations. It investigates new, promising techniques that look deeper than what can be seen with the naked eye. The COM-PRESS consortium will further explore these techniques in fundamental research, while bridging the gap to socially relevant use cases.

Specifically, COM-PRESS works towards the following objectives:

  • Investigating the credibility of existing manipulation techniques.
  • Developing new detection methods of image manipulations, as well as searching for complementary detection methods.
  • Opening up detection methods to journalists and evaluating them in concrete use cases.

In this way, COM-PRESS creates new insights in disinformation, in order to increase the resilience of citizens and journalists against disinformation.

CheckFirst will implement the image analysis system developed during the project into Crossover’s social media dashboards. This will allow dashboard’s users to quickly identify any manipulated image.

About us

We empower the fight against disinformation. Check First is a software and methodologies company founded by a developer and two journalists. We focus on creating the best tools and practices for the peculiar job of countering and monitoring fakes and influence campaigns, and gain time in the process by fostering collaboration. Our best asset is the complementarity of our founding team, making us approach problems in a comprehensive and innovative way.

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