Houston police attempted to link an alleged injection “attack” to the chaos at a November 2021 concert that culminated in the deaths of eight people and injuries to more than 300 others. Local police chief Troy Finner first pushed the claim
Publication: disinformation
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Kyle Rittenhouse’s Trial Opens with His Lawyer Saying the N-Word Twice in Court’
On November 4 2021, a Reddit user shared a purported headline, “Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial opens with his lawyer saying the N-word twice in court,” to r/MarchAgainstNazis: Need I say more? from MarchAgainstNazis
Truth or Fiction?→ Despite Pledges, Hearings, Facebook Still Disseminating Climate Disinformation
Several weeks of highly damaging stories and one name change later, the company currently trying to rebrand as “Meta” is deploying the same shopworn tactics of denial and misdirection. Facebook has said it is taking major action on disinformation c
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There is No Evidence People Ever Saved Bacon Grease’ Facebook ‘Fact Check’
An October 21 2021 post generated a recursive rumor of its own, when it claimed that Facebook fact-checkers had determined there was “no evidence people ever saved aluminum foil or bacon grease” in the course of fact-checking a meme. This
Truth or Fiction?→ Pierce Brosnan: ‘She Is in My Eyes the Most Beautiful Woman in the World …’
On October 21 2021, a virally popular Facebook post by the page “NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!!!” attributed to Pierce Brosnan a saccharine, condescending commentary about his wife Keely Shay Smith, who was apparently unworthy of being named
Truth or Fiction?→ Lincoln Project Reveals It Staged Tiki Torch Stunt at Right-Wing Republican Rally
Cconservative group The Lincoln Project revealed itself on October 29 2021 as the organizers of a stunt criticizing a far-right gubernatorial candidate in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group, which claims to represent Republican Party members who oppo
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘FDA Vaccine Advisory Board Said Friday Unvaccinated Are More Educated on the Vaccine Than Most People Who Have Gotten It’ Tweet
On October 26 2021, an undated Twitter screenshot circulated, claiming that the “FDA vaccine advisory board” had bemoaned that unvaccinated Americans are highly educated: pic.twitter.com/JkWDvif5yX — Raider Pablo (@R8erN8tion) Octo
Truth or Fiction?→ Did DC Comics ‘Make Superman Gay’?
The announcement that DC Comics’ newest Superman will have a male love interest led to both enthusiasm for some readers of comics and regurgitated moral panics from right-wing pundits and media outlets. The company announced on October 11 2021 th
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Are You Concerned Someone You Know is Becoming Too Prepared?’ Facebook
On October 10 2021, a screenshot of a purported Facebook warning asking members of canning and prepper groups if they knew someone who was “becoming too prepared” was shared to Reddit’s r/comedyheaven: becoming too prepared
Truth or Fiction?→ Leo Varadkar ‘Rent Freeze’ Quote
On October 7 2020, Imgur u/smobey shared a screenshot of the following circulating tweet: The text said: Leo Varadkar warns introducing a rent freeze could create a ‘nightmare scenario’, where landlords would be forced to sell their extra
Truth or Fiction?→ Project Veritas and ‘Nick Karl From Pfizer’
On October 4 2021, Project Veritas — an organization that releases heavily misleadingly edited far-right propaganda videos and pretends they are journalistic “stings” — claimed to “expose Pfizer” through secret vi
Truth or Fiction?→ Do National Son’s Day and National Daughter’s Day Even Exist?
On September 27 2021, Facebook user Owen Youngman posted about “National Son’s Day” and “National Daughter’s Day,” two purported “National Days” prompting significant social media engagement. YoungmanR
Truth or Fiction?→ DHS Report Confirms Border Officials’ Surveillance Against Journalists and Activists
Federal officials say border authorities wrongfully conducted surveillance against journalists and activists crossing between the United States and Mexico — but the United States stopped short of commenting on whether they broke the law in doing
Truth or Fiction?→ How to Fight Disinformation — Part III: Distraction
On September 20 2021, shocking photographs and accompanying video made the rounds on news networks and social media appearing to show border agents on horseback whipping asylum-seekers on foot as they ran in terror: A mounted U.S. Border Patrol agent
Truth or Fiction?→ New Footage of Capitol Riots Released in September 2021
“New footage” of the events of January 6 2021 began circulating on September 22 2021, appearing alongside a predictable set of claims about the “meaning” of the video: Whatever this is, it is not anything close to a coup or in
Truth or Fiction?→ New Book Claims Zuckerberg Let Trump Lie to Avoid Federal Oversight
A new biography of right-wing tech mogul Peter Thiel claims that, according to him, Facebook chief exeutive officer Mark Zuckerberg struck a deal allowing Donald Trump and his allies to spread disinformation in exchange for a lack of federal oversight.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Almost Half of America Thinks Biden is Mentally Unstable According to New Poll’
On September 20 2021, a TrendingPolitics.com post headlined, “Almost Half of America Thinks Biden is Mentally Unstable According to New Poll” appeared on Trendolizer as extremely popular, claiming: According to a new poll conducted by Fox
Truth or Fiction?→ Biden ‘Fellow Down Under’ Controversy
On September 16 2021, Trendolizer identified a Hannity.com post (“???????: Biden Seemingly Forgets Australian Prime Minister’s Name, Calls Him ‘That Fella Down Under’”) as showing signs of viral popularity. It began: President Biden s
Truth or Fiction?→ CNN Missing 351K (or 400K) Votes in CA Recall Segment, Explained
On September 15 2021, rumors that “351K” or “400K” votes had “disappeared” from California gubernatorial recall totals during a CNN segment were popular on social media: Someone explain to me why the Gavin Newsom r
Truth or Fiction?→ Right-Wing Disinformation Surges As California Recall Election Unfolds
As the recall election against California governor Gavin Newsom drew closer to a close, both the leading right-wing candidate and conspiracy theorists continued pushing disinformation painting the process as “rigged” before polls even opene
Truth or Fiction?→ Todd Starnes: ‘Biden Says Even Fox News Has A Mandatory Vaccine Policy’
On September 14 2021, a popular Imgur post showed a screenshot of a Todd Starnes tweet, in which Starnes questioned whether Fox News had a “mandatory vaccine policy”: Biden says even @FoxNews has a mandatory vaccine policy. Is that tru
Truth or Fiction?→ CA Recall Election Disinformation Roundup
In the lead up to the California gubernatorial recall election of September 14 2021, the usual disinformation purveyors went into high gear, poisoning the well with wall-to-wall claims of perfidy and election theft. Overall, the California recall and i
Truth or Fiction?→ The Oklahoma Ivermectin Overdose Controversy
A viral September 5 2021 tweet thread “debunking” a series of stories about ivermectin use and hospitals shows that disinformation and the way it is delivered is mutating. Republican public relations strategist and freelance writer Drew Ho
Truth or Fiction?→ Is San Francisco Paying Criminals $300 a Month Not to Shoot People?
On September 8 2021, the unreliable Daily Wire published an item headlined, “San Francisco Is Going To Pay People $300 A Month Not To Shoot Others.” The outrage-baiting headline worked; soon it appeared atop Trendolizer.com’s “
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ivermectin Causes Infertility’ Meme
On September 7 2021, a meme claiming “ivermectin causes male infertility” was shared to Imgur, quickly going viral on other platforms as well: Under the top text (“ivermectin causes male infertility,”) additional bottom text re
Truth or Fiction?→ Kayleigh McEnany: ‘I Can Only Explain it to You. I Can’t Understand It for You.’
On September 7 2021, Trendolizer detected a viral Twitter quote meme; it suggested that former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters, “I can only explain it to you…. I can’t understand it for you”: By the
Truth or Fiction?→ Candace Owens ‘Cough Into My Fist’ Tweet
On September 3 2021, an Imgur user uploaded a purported tweet by right-wing pundit and frequent disinformation purveyor Candace Owens, quoting her as saying if “a leftist doctor” refused to administer a test, she would cough in her hand a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Botswanan Doctors’ Group Call for Ivermectin as a COVID-19 Treatment?
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage amid a toxic stew of online disinformation campaigns and official grandstanding, anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists circulated a purported press release from a group in Botswana in early September 20
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 “
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Comedy Central Caves to Cancel Culture’
On September 1 2021, a Newsweek article bearing the leading headline, “Comedy Central Caves to Cancel Culture, Removes Episode from ‘The Office’ Line-up” was identified as virally popular by Trendolizer; it covered the showR
Truth or Fiction?→ Taliban ‘Hanging from Blackhawk’ Video
On August 30 2021, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted a video that purportedly showed members of the Taliban hanging an interpreter from a Blackhawk helicopter in Afghanistan: This horrifying image encapsulates Joe Biden's Afghanistan catastrophe:
Truth or Fiction?→ Carrie Prejean Encinitas School Board Video
On August 30 2021, video of a woman later identified as Carrie Prejean Boller spread virally on Twitter; the clip depicted Prejean Boller “speaking out” against masks at a school board meeting in the southern California city of Encinitas on
Truth or Fiction?→ Camilla Canepa and #ProtectYourFamily
A June 2021 Facebook post about the death of Camilla Canepa spread virally in August 2021, iterations of which received thousands of shares on Facebook, with its “vaccine info” box glaringly absent: Camilla Canepa Facebook Posts and the #P
Truth or Fiction?→ Bill Nye ‘There’s Already Enough Plastic in the Ocean’ Response Tweet
On August 16 2021, the Facebook page “Super News Supes” shared a screenshot in which science educator Bill Nye purportedly made a misogynistic comment about Kylie Jenner in a screenshot that was circulating as early as July 9 2019: In th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Republican Party Webpage Praising Trump’s Afghanistan Deal Disappear?
As right-wing political figures scrambled to attack U.S. President Joe Biden for the devastation accompanying the Taliban advance across Afghanistan in August 2021, an official Republican Party webpage praising his predecessor for setting up the United
Truth or Fiction?→ California Officials Attempt to Quell Confusion Around Gubernatorial Recall Election
As mail-in ballots began to go out in advance of the September 2021 gubernatorial recall election in California, a spokesperson for the California Secretary of State’s office attempted to quell disinformation and confusion around the often confus
Truth or Fiction?→ No, a Study Didn’t Find That ‘the Most Highly-Educated Americans Are Also the Most Vaccine-Hesitant’
On August 11 2021, the Twitter account for the extremely disreputable disinformation site ZeroHedge shared a link to a blog post, “Study Finds The Most Highly-Educated Americans Are Also The Most Vaccine-Hesitant”: Study Finds The Most Hi
Truth or Fiction?→ Comedian’s Spoof Interview as ‘Flight Attendant’ Spreads Virally on Facebook Watch
On August 6 2021, Irish broadcaster and verified page “RTÉ 2fm” shared a video captioned “The greatest interview of ALL time. A classic ,” reaching five million views on Facebook Watch and purportedly showing footage of a flig
Truth or Fiction?→ San Diego Sheriff Admits No Doctor Verified ‘Overdose’ Claim in Viral Video
San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore admitted on August 10 2021 that no medical professionals were involved in the making of a heavily-criticized video his department has claimed showed a deputy “overdosing” on fentanyl. According to the San
Truth or Fiction?→ 4Chan’s /Pol/ Seeks to Sow Discord With #AskMeWhy
On or around August 6 2021, a Twitter hashtag (#AskMeWhy) emerged, appearing on numerous tweets asserting that vaccination campaigns were “racist”: I wonder if @NYCMayor has seen this one?#vaccinediscrimination#askmewhy #MedicalApartheid