The National:

THE Daily Mail has demanded that a web browser extension that labels its journalism inaccurate be changed.

The NewsGuard plug-in allows its users to see how trustworthy news websites they are browsing are, according to its criteria on credibility and transparency.

Microsoft updated its Edge browser app for Android and iOS devices to include NewsGuard last week – although plans to turn it on by default have not yet been put into place.

The plug-in displays a message to users visiting the site reading: “Proceed with caution: this website generally fails to maintain basic standards of accuracy and accountability.”

Gordon Crovitz, co-chief executive of the US-based firm, said: “Our journalist analysts always contact websites if they get a negative rating on any of our nine journalistic criteria. The Mail Online chose not to reply.

“Dozens of news websites have changed their practices based on our journalistic criteria on credibility and transparency in order to become more reliable sources of news.”

With a 1/5 ranking, the Mail’s website joins far-right US site InfoWars and government-owned Russian news agency Sputnik.