On February 9 2022, Trendolizer identified an article that was purportedly (and partly) headlined, “First Article of Impeachment Laid Out Against Joe Biden.” Trendolizer flagged it as virally popular; Facebook shares of the link looked lik
Publication: clickbait
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Biden And Harris Served With Impeachment Charge’
On September 2 2021, a story with the shocking headline “Biden And Harris Served With Impeachment Charge – Gun-Toting Boebert Accuses Them Both Of Dereliction Of Duty” popped up as post that quickly went viral. A Facebook post by “
Snopes→ No, Tom Selleck Isn’t a Spokesman for CBD Oil Products
We unraveled the mystery behind online advertisements that featured Cannabidiol, or CBD, oil products that featured Tom Selleck, Drew Carey, Tom Hanks, Randy Jackson, and Halle Berry.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Asteroid Could Hit Earth’ Clickbait Revived by the New York Post
On October 18 2020, the New York Post published an article with the anxiety-inducing headline, “Neil deGrasse Tyson warns asteroid could hit Earth day before election,” which revived interest in a previously viral rumor of the same descri
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘I Just Tested Positive for Coronavirus’ Engagement Bait Spreads on Facebook
On July 25 2020, Facebook user Stiven Flores shared the following photograph, with a claim he had “just tested positive for coronavirus” and an aggressive push for others to share the post in order to collect “prayers”: Alongsi
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Budget Breakdown of a 25-Year-Old Who Makes $100,000 a Year and Is Excellent with Money’
As COVID-19 related economic woes dragged on in August 2020, a Facebook user shared a CNBC “budget breakdown” chart — which involved a 25-year-old man earning $100,000 a year: On August 14 2020, the user shared the above ch
Truth or Fiction?→ Fake ‘Thailand’s Seven New Provinces’ Post Resurfaces on Social Media in Thailand
An online hoax dating back to at least 2015 about Thailand having seven new provinces continued to spread as recently as January 2020, according to news and fact-checking organization Agence France-Presse. The news service reported that a post pushin
Truth or Fiction?→ Chef Uses Molecular Gastronomy to ‘Incredibly’ Bake a ‘Clear’ Pumpkin Pie?
An October 17 2019 post on the site CanYouActually.com, “Chef Uses Molecular Gastronomy To Incredibly Bake A Clear Pumpkin Pie,” racked up tens of thousands of shares across social media platforms: There’s nothing more traditional than p
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook Claims We’re ‘Clickbait.’ And It Won’t Explain Why.
Even as Facebook hides behind “free speech” concerns to justify a lack of action against the spread of far-right content, it does reserve the right to determine what constitutes “clickbait” with no explanation as to how that de
Truth or Fiction?→ Scams and Hoax Accounts Proliferate on Instagram
April 2019 saw the culmination of a months-long popular uprising in the country of Sudan, when its former president Omar al-Bashir stepped down from his post. The Sudanese military quickly took control of the country in what it called a transitional p
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Facebook Donating $1 for Every Share Towards a Puppy’s Tumor?
On May 10 2019, the Facebook page “Therapy Dogs Give Love” shared the following image and plea (archived here), claiming Facebook was donating $1 for every share of an image of a puppy with a “tumor”: Alongside an image of a
Truth or Fiction?→ Will Michael Jackson’s Body Be Exhumed?
On March 7 2019, pop culture and media sites published a virally popular article (archived here) claiming that pop superstar Michael Jackson’s body may be exhumed: Express.co.uk is reporting that at least 11 new people are accusing Michael Jac
Truth or Fiction?→ Does This Grandma Want You to Share Her Photo to Mark Her 100th Birthday?
On January 7, 2019, the Facebook page “Animals & Nature” shared a seemingly wholesome plea on the part of the purported poster’s 100-year-old grandma: Alongside the purported centenarian’s image, a caption pleaded: Today’
Snopes→ ‘No One Wished Me Happy Birthday’ Scam Running Wild on Social Media
If a post implores you to be the first to wish a sick or sad person happy birthday, it’s likely part of a cynical social media strategy.
Snopes→ Did Divers Just Uncover the ‘Lost City’ of Heracleion?
Divers did uncover the ruins of Heracleion, but the discovery was not new in 2017 — contrary to the claims of clickbait articles.
Snopes→ Is this a Doctor Mourning for a Mother Who Died During Childbirth?
A sketchy Facebook page claimed a photograph depicted "crying doctor" mourning for a patient who died in childbirth after struggling with fertility.
Snopes→ Are Memberships No Longer Necessary to Shop at Costco?
Clickbait articles on Facebook are misleading users into thinking people no longer need a memberships to shop at the warehouse stores.