Fake news has always been around, to some degree. In recent years, however, the problem has become considerably more widespread. Indeed, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg recently acknowledged his company's unwitting role in the spread of fake news during the US' 2016 presidential elections.

Fortunately, several companies – including Facebook – are taking steps to mitigate the issue. If a recent Bloomberg report is anything to go by, Apple may be the next company to do so.

According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to merge their recently-acquired Texture app with their Apple News app. After doing so, Apple plans to use the merged app to offer a "premium [news] subscription" service sometime in 2018.

Through careful policing of their upcoming news platform, Apple could ensure users are only being served information from trustworthy sources...

Though Apple would likely gain a sizable following right away simply due to their branding, Apple could retain users in the long-term by closely monitoring the news content they make available through their service.

The company could theoretically only choose to partner with news outlets they deem trustworthy, potentially putting a dent in the spread of misinformation and false news.

Details regarding how this service might work in practice are still scarce at the moment, as is information on the app's potential pricing. Regardless, it'll certainly be interesting to see how Apple intends to turn their plans into a reality later this year.