A top official in the police union representing officers in San Jose, California was accused by federal officials of using union resources as part of a scheme to import a synthetic “analogue” to fentanyl. According to a statement from the U
Publication: disinformation
Truth or Fiction?→ Sun Tzu ‘Rule Over Ashes’ Quote
On March 25 2023, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a quote attributed to Sun Tzu; several individual Facebook users followed suit with various iterations of the phrase and attribution: An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground
Truth or Fiction?→ A Recent History of George Soros Conspiracy Theories
If you have spent any time on the internet since 2016 — and who hasn’t? — you’ll be familiar with right wing bugbear George Soros, an extremely rich philanthropist who donates generously to liberal and progressive causes, and i
The Dispatch→ Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict The Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank?
A digitally altered clip circulating online claims to show a scene from an old episode of The Simpsons featuring a run on Silicon Valley Bank. Silicon Valley Bank collapsed earlier this month and social media users are pointing to the clip as evidence
Truth or Fiction?→ Alex Jones’ $43 Million Bankruptcy Payment Plan Rejected: Report
Conspiracy theorist broadcaster Alex Jones must provide thorough financial records in response to a judge’s order by the end of March 2023, after the bereaved families of victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting attack rejected his attorneys’
Truth or Fiction?→ Bannon Ally Charged with Fraud Also Helped Him Spread Disinformation
The 54-year-old billionaire popularly known as “Guo Wengui” not only used other names — he was also involved in several efforts alongside former White House advisor Steve Bannon. Federal prosecutors’ announcement on March 15 202
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Will The 2024 Democratic National Convention Be Held on Jeffrey Epstein’s Island?
(Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) A screenshot of a Google Maps image is circulating online purporting to show the location of the 2024 Democratic National Convention on Little Saint James, the island o
Truth or Fiction?→ New York Court: Fox News ‘Turned a Blind Eye’ to Guests’ Election Disinformation
The right-wing Fox “news” channel must face a second defamation lawsuit for promoting election deniers following Donald Trump’s resounding loss to Joe Biden in 2020. The New York State Supreme Court ruled on March 8 2023 that a $2.7 b
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ivermectin Influencer’ Dead at 50
On March 13 2023, popular posts to Imgur and Reddit suggested that an “ivermectin influencer” named Danny Lemoi had died from one of its side effects: . Reddit’s r/LeopardsAteMyFace was a subreddit based on a viral October 2015 twee
The Dispatch→ Fact Check: Did Zelensky Attend a 1999 Pride Parade in New York?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images.) A photograph circulating online purports to show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his former adviser Oleksiy Arestovych at a New York pride parade. The image ha
The Dispatch→ Our Best Stuff on Student Debt Relief, Ron DeSantis, and More
Sen. Bernie Sanders in front of the Supreme Court during a rally for student debt cancellation in Washington, DC, on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)Plus, a false claim about Volodymyr Zelensky makes its way from
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘You Must Remove the 🇺🇦 From Your Profile’ Twitter Pop-Up
On February 25 2023, Twitter user @walter_report shared a screenshot of a Twitter pop-up warning, which purportedly demanded that the account “remove the [Ukrainian flag emoji]” from their profile: You can’t be serious, @elonmusk? N
Truth or Fiction?→ Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘Dragons and Dinosaurs’ Tweet
In late February 2023, screenshots of a particularly bizarre tweet about dinosaurs and dragons attributed to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) circulated on Reddit and Twitter: Since @RepMTG deleted this tweet, I decided to repost it for clarit
Truth or Fiction?→ Bill Maher ‘Natural Immunity’ Study Tweet
On February 19 2023, a Twitter user tweeted a quote (with video) from talk show host and comedian Bill Maher, on the subject of a “big study” on “natural immunity” and how it held up against vaccines: Bill Maher: “Big story,
Truth or Fiction?→ Arizona Election Deniers Wilted When Asked for Proof: Report
Election deniers in Arizona folded when asked to provide proof of their voting-related conspiracy theories, according to a Washington Post report. The story was based on an investigation into “voter fraud” carried out by then-state Attorney
Truth or Fiction?→ Tennessee Seahorse Book Ban
On February 22 2023, two Imgur users (and one Redditor) shared screenshots of a tweet about Tennessee Republicans “trying to ban a book about seahorses” because it “normalizes gender fluidity”: But male seahorses can
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ron DeSantis Say ‘You’d Never See Kurt Cobain or David Bowie Dressing Like Women’?
On February 22 2023, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a tweet which purportedly quoted Florida’s far-right governor Ron DeSantis (R) on music stars Kurt Cobain and David Bowie “never … dressing like women”: Top comments
Truth or Fiction?→ Britney Spears Stage Crasher Finds Online ‘Fame’ Thanks to Junk Website
A 37-year-old man arrested for crashing the stage at a Britney Spears concert in 2017 found a different type of attention online in 2023 thanks to his mugshot appearing on an online “fake news” site. Jesse Webb was arrested on August 9 2017
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Meanwhile in Ohio’ ‘Death Plume’ Image
On February 13 2023, a Facebook account shared the following image, purportedly a photograph of a huge, dark plume of smoke near the site of a train derailment in Ohio: An attached status update referenced unrelated news about “unidentified obj
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘He Gets Us’ Ads and Abortion Access Lawsuit
On February 12 2023, Judd Legum tweeted about “He Gets Us”/Jesus advertisements, claiming that the campaign was financed by the “same group” that is “seeking to ban abortion medication nationwide”: Just FYI, the sa
Truth or Fiction?→ The NFL Invokes Pat Tillman’s Name at the Super Bowl — But Ignores How He Died
Before Super Bowl LVII even began, the National Football League (NFL) drew criticism for distorting the circumstances behind the death of former player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman in a promotional effort. The telecast featured a video package on T
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Twitter Files’ Hearing Further Exposes How It ‘Bent and Broke’ Rules for the Trump Administration
A House Oversight Committee ostensibly geared toward showing “suppression” of information regarding the laptop of Hunter Biden — the son of United States President Joe Biden and a frequent target of far-right conspiracist fantasies
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Food Shortages Are Starting to Become Quite Serious All Over the Planet’
On February 7 2023, a @zerohedge tweet (featuring a blog post titled “Food Shortages Are Starting To Become Quite Serious All Over The Planet”) attracted thousands of views: Food Shortages Are Starting To Become Quite Serious All Over The
Truth or Fiction?→ Mass Shootings, Violence in California Highlight Issue of Disinformation in Immigrant Communities
Two mass shootings in California in the first weeks of 2023, both committed by immigrants in their sixties, have highlighted the issue of disinformation and propaganda targeting American immigrant communities, and how the prods and pulleys of stochasti
Truth or Fiction?→ Election Denier Kari Lake Facing Investigation as Arizona GOP Further Embraces Conspiracy Theories
Shortly after a state election that saw her party cohorts double down on conspiracy theories, failed right-wing Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake faced a possible investigation for wrongfully sharing voter information. Lake, who lost the Novemb
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Marie Kondo ‘Giving Up’ on Tidying ‘After Three Kids’?
On January 30 2023, an Imgur screenshot of a Reddit post suggested that clearning and organization guru Marie Kondo had “given up” on having a clean house after having three children: Marie Kondo Stops Tidying Up: ‘My Home
Truth or Fiction?→ 2023 Connecticut Egg Production Plant Fire Rumors
On January 29 2023, right-wing Twitter personality and longtime disinformation purveyor Elijah Schaffer tweeted a video which tied together two popular narratives by purportedly depicting “one of the largest egg production plants” burning d
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Outside Agitators’ Have Always Been a Racist Myth
In January 2023, the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police in Memphis, Tennessee drew widespread outcry in the United States. Ditto for the death in Atlanta, Georgia that same month of protestor and environmental activist Tortuguita — Ma
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump’s Tax Cuts and the National Debt
On January 25 2023, a Reddit account shared a screenshot of a tweet by musician and political blogger Jeff Tiedrich to r/WhitePeopleTwitter, asserting that former United States President Donald Trump’s tax cuts were “responsible for”
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is Peak Greed’: Activists Blast Meta for Reinstating Trump to Facebook
The reinstatement of right-wing former United States President Donald Trump to Facebook and Instagram was roundly criticized by activists warning that it could drive “democracy to the brink.” “Meta is moving backwards, returning us to
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Dishwasher Pods Go in the Door or on the Bottom?
In January 2023, a popular Facebook Reel making the rounds claimed that dishwasher pods (that is to say, detergent) were being universally, incorrectly applied; the video in question was “stitched” with a viral September 2022 TikTok post:
The Dispatch→ Fact Checking a Fake Headline About COVID-19 Vaccines
This image, taken from Twitter, is fake. An image circulating on Twitter purports to show the headline of an article in The Conversation asking why unvaccinated people didn’t do more to warn the vaccinated against the alleged danger of the COVID-19 v
Logically→ Statsminister Ulf Kristersson tillåter utplacering av kärnvapen i Sverige under fredstid, i samband med NATO:s anbud.
Påståendet är baserat på en felöversättning. Ulf Kristersson sa motsatsen: Det finns inte några skäl till att placera kärnvapen i Sverige under fredst
Truth or Fiction?→ Pink Floyd’s ‘Woke’ 50th Anniversary Rainbow Controversy
On January 19 2023, popular Twitter account @TravisAkers tweeted the following screenshot, purportedly illustrating backlash aimed at rock band Pink Floyd over a 50th anniversary “rainbow” logo on Facebook: Pink Floyd updated their profil
Truth or Fiction?→ Failed GOP Candidate Embraced Disinformation, Violence in Shooting Plot
The history of the 39-year-old alleged “mastermind” behind a plan to attack multiple Democratic Party officials in New Mexico showed an embrace of both violence and conspiracy theories that have driven right-wing political violence in the U
The Dispatch→ Does the World Economic Forum Want to Legalize Pedophilia?
The World Economic Forum annual meeting 2022 in Davos, Switzerland.(Photo by Zheng Huansong/Xinhua via Getty Images) Claims are circulating online that the World Economic Forum has called for the decriminalization of pedophilia. These claims are false.
Truth or Fiction?→ Tennessee Lawmaker Switches From School ‘Litter Box’ Hoax to ‘Leashes’ Narrative
When asked to admit her claims of “litter boxes” in schools were a hoax, a right-wing Tennessee lawmaker instead shifted to claiming she was told about “leashes” instead. The Tennessee Holler news outlet posted footage of an int
Truth or Fiction?→ Before Being Elected, George Santos Pushed His Own ‘Stolen Election’ Hoax
Amid continuing criticism and demands — even from local party members — that he leave office, a video circulating online shows right-wing Rep. George Santos (R-New York) appearing at a January 5 2021 rally and falsely claiming that an elect
Truth or Fiction?→ Joe Biden ‘Classified Documents’ Controversy
On January 9 2023, conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) tweeted that U.S. President Joe Biden “took classified documents from the White House,” claiming that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Archives
Logically→ Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson to allow the deployment nuclear weapons Swedish during peacetime
No, in his speech, Ulf Kristersson meant the opposite and see no reason for having nuclear weapons in Sweden in peacetime.