{{WP:Reliable sources/Perennial sources/Header}}
{{WP:RSPIntro|CNET}}
This source has separate reliability assessments by time period or topic; each is presented in its own section below.
__TOC__
== pre–October 2020 ==
{{Infobox source reliability
| type = website
| title = [[CNET]] (pre–October 2020)
| shortcut =
| status = gr
| last = 2023
| domain1 = cnet.com
}}
=== Summary ===
''CNET'' is considered generally reliable for its technology-related articles prior to its acquisition by [[Red Ventures]] in October 2020. In 2023, Red Ventures began deleting thousands of old CNET articles; website content may no longer be available unless archived.[{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=2023-08-09 |title=CNET is deleting old articles to try to improve its Google Search ranking |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/9/23826342/cnet-content-pruning-deleting-articles-google-seo |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}]
=== Discussions ===
{{WP:RSPLinks}}
==== RSN ====
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 4#GameSpot and CNET]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 24#Media Awareness Network]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 30#AV-comparatives]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 40#Download pages as source for notability?]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 52#Sources for information on the theft]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 63#TorrentFreak]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 66#Rumor sites such as MacRumors and AppleInsider]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 71#Bose References]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 75#National Names Database]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 101#CNET]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 120#TorrentFreak]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 134#The Pirate Bay is said in wiki-voice that it is an commercial website]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 162#Can videos be RS in a BLP?]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 165#Sources at Nokia Lumia 1520]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 180#"Editor Reviews" and affiliate marketing (on CNET)]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 197#TorrentFreak, again]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 398#Beware: CNet running AI-generated articles, byline "CNet Money"]]
=== Recency ===
{{WP:RSPLAST/sandbox|2023|table=no}}
=== Rfcs ===
''No Rfcs for this assessment.''
== October 2020–October 2022 ==
{{Infobox source reliability
| type = website
| title = [[CNET]] (October 2020–October 2022)
| shortcut =
| status = nc
| last = 2025
| domain1 = cnet.com
}}
=== Summary ===
''CNET'' was acquired by digital marketing company [[Red Ventures]] in October 2020, leading to a deterioration in editorial standards. Staff writers were pressured by company executives to publish content more favorably to advertisers in order to benefit Red Ventures' business dealings; this included both news stories and reviews.
=== Discussions ===
{{WP:RSPLinks}}
==== RSN ====
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 375#Time to revisit CNET]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 398#Beware: CNet running AI-generated articles, byline "CNet Money"]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 430#RfC: Red Ventures]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 471#Videos by CNET]]
=== Recency ===
{{WP:RSPLAST/sandbox|2025|table=no}}
=== Rfcs ===
''No Rfcs for this assessment.''
== November 2022–present ==
{{Infobox source reliability
| type = website
| title = [[CNET]] (November 2022–present)
| shortcut = WP:CNET
| status = gu
| last = 2025
| domain1 = cnet.com
| rfc = [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 430#RfC: Red Ventures|Rfc]]
| rfcdate = 2024
}}
=== Summary ===
Concerns over ''CNET''{{'}}s advertiser-driven editorial content remain unresolved. Separately, in November 2022, it began deploying an experimental AI tool to rapidly generate articles riddled with factual inaccuracies and affiliate links, with the purpose of increasing [[SEO]] [[Search engine results page|rankings]]. CNET never formally disclosed its use of AI until ''[[Futurism (website)|Futurism]]'' and ''[[The Verge]]'' published reports exposing its actions. An AI tool now announced to be paused wrote more than 70 finance-related articles and published them under the byline "CNET Money Staff", over half of which received corrections after mounting pressure. In August 2024 CNET was purchased by [[Ziff Davis]], which may mean that the reasons for considering it unreliable may no longer apply.
=== Discussions ===
{{WP:RSPLinks}}
==== RSN ====
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 398#Beware: CNet running AI-generated articles, byline "CNet Money"]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 453#CNET and ZDNET are now under Ziff Davis ownership. Should they get a new chance or continue be considered too unreliable?]]
* [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 485#CNET’s Reliability Status Should Be Reconsidered Ten Months After Ownership Change]]
=== Recency ===
{{WP:RSPLAST/sandbox|2025|table=no}}
=== Rfcs ===
# 2024 [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 430#RfC: Red Ventures|Rfc]]
# 2025 [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 471#Videos by CNET|Rfc]]
== Excerpt ==
{{hatnote|Excerpt from the lead of [[CNET]]:}}
{{excerpt|CNET|paragraphs=1|only=paragraphs|hat=no|references=no|inline=yes}}
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
== Original table rows for comparison ==
''(remove this when this source page is ready to go live)''
{{Wikipedia:RSPTableHeader}}
|- class="s-gr" id="CNET (pre-October 2020)"
| ''[[CNET]]'' (pre–October 2020)
| {{WP:RSPSTATUS|gr}}
| 17[See these discussions of CNET: [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 4#GameSpot and CNET|1]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 24#Media Awareness Network|2]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 30#AV-comparatives|3]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 40#Download pages as source for notability?|4]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 52#Sources for information on the theft|5]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 63#TorrentFreak|6]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 66#Rumor sites such as MacRumors and AppleInsider|7]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 71#Bose References|8]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 75#National Names Database|9]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 101#CNET|10]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 120#TorrentFreak|11]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 134#The Pirate Bay is said in wiki-voice that it is an commercial website|12]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 162#Can videos be RS in a BLP?|13]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 165#Sources at Nokia Lumia 1520|14]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 180#"Editor Reviews" and affiliate marketing (on CNET)|15]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 197#TorrentFreak, again|16]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 398#Beware: CNet running AI-generated articles, byline "CNet Money"|17]]]
| {{WP:RSPLAST|2023}}
| ''CNET'' is considered generally reliable for its technology-related articles prior to its acquisition by [[Red Ventures]] in October 2020. In 2023, Red Ventures began deleting thousands of old CNET articles; website content may no longer be available unless archived.[{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=2023-08-09 |title=CNET is deleting old articles to try to improve its Google Search ranking |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/9/23826342/cnet-content-pruning-deleting-articles-google-seo |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}]
| {{WP:RSPUSES|cnet.com}}
|- class="s-nc" id="CNET (October 2020–October 2022)"
| ''[[CNET]]'' (October 2020{{snd}}October 2022)
| {{WP:RSPSTATUS|nc}}
| [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 375#Time to revisit CNET|1]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 398#Beware: CNet running AI-generated articles, byline "CNet Money"|2]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 430#RfC: Red Ventures|3]] [[WP:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 471#Videos by CNET|4]]
| {{WP:RSPLAST|2025}}
| ''CNET'' was acquired by digital marketing company [[Red Ventures]] in October 2020, leading to a deterioration in editorial standards. Staff writers were pressured by company executives to publish content more favorably to advertisers in order to benefit Red Ventures' business dealings; this included both news stories and reviews.
| {{WP:RSPUSES|cnet.com}}
|- class="s-gu" id="CNET (November 2022–present)"
| ''[[CNET]]'' (November 2022{{snd}}present) {{WP:RSPSHORTCUT|WP:CNET}}
| {{WP:RSPSTATUS|gu}}
| {{rsnl|430|RfC: Red Ventures|2024|rfc=y}} {{rsnl|471|Videos by CNET|2025|rfc=y}}
| {{WP:RSPLAST|2025}}
| Concerns over ''CNET''{{'}}s advertiser-driven editorial content remain unresolved. Separately, in November 2022, it began deploying an experimental AI tool to rapidly generate articles riddled with factual inaccuracies and affiliate links, with the purpose of increasing [[SEO]] [[Search engine results page|rankings]]. CNET never formally disclosed its use of AI until ''[[Futurism (website)|Futurism]]'' and ''[[The Verge]]'' published reports exposing its actions. An AI tool now announced to be paused wrote more than 70 finance-related articles and published them under the byline "CNET Money Staff", over half of which received corrections after mounting pressure. In August 2024 CNET was purchased by [[Ziff Davis]], which may mean that the reasons for considering it unreliable may no longer apply.
| {{WP:RSPUSES|cnet.com}}
|}