Google search tool mistakenly labels Mueller report as ‘fiction’

Google mistakenly labeled special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report a work of fiction in an information box that corresponds with its search engine, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The error appeared in what’s known as Google’s Knowledge Graph, a software tool that generates context and relevant info for certain topics, according to a screenshot taken by the newspaper. In this case, the Mueller report’s genre was listed as “fiction.”

{mosads}The Post noted that the label was corrected to “non-fiction” just a few hours after the newspaper contacted Google about the issue. Google told the paper that the search result was an error but did not elaborate on how the mistake occurred.

Google also did not offer comment on how long the mistake appeared on its website and how many people may have seen the inaccurate label.

“The Knowledge Graph is our systems’ understanding of the people, places and things in the world,” Google spokeswoman Lara Levin said in a statement to the Post. “While we strive to always present accurate information, errors can occur. When we’re made aware of inaccuracies, we work to fix them quickly.”

The company did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from The Hill.

Google uses algorithms that cover a wide breadth of online sources, such as Wikipedia. The range makes it difficult to understand how the false information appeared in the Knowledge Graph, according to the Post.

Mueller’s report on his 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has become a focus of congressional Democrats who want to further explore its findings and underlying evidence.