A public safety video released by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in California was quickly called into question online — but not by local news organizations, some of which shared it without mentioning that medical groups have des
Publication: disinformation
Truth or Fiction?→ Fox Host’s Visit Brings New Attention to Hungary’s ‘Illiberal’ Regime
A far right Fox News presenter’s appearance in Hungary — and photographed meeting with its authoritarian head of state — has brought new attention to that country’s descent into what one observer described as “soft fascism
Truth or Fiction?→ Ashli Babbitt Cremation Request
On August 3 2021, longtime disinformation purveyor Judicial Watch issued a “press release” provocatively titled, “New Documents reveal the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Submitted a Request to Cremate Ashli Babbitt Two Days
Truth or Fiction?→ Police Officers’ Testimony Refutes Right Wing Capitol Riot Disinformation
The testimony of four law enforcement officers before a House select committee on July 27 2021 provided another yet another clear refutation to the disinformation pushed by right-wing outlets and operatives surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol on
Truth or Fiction?→ Anatomy of an Inauthentically Organized Campaign
In mid-2021, as the Delta variant rapidly spread among unvaccinated populations across the United States and public officials began publicly flirting with the prospect of still more measures to quell the spread of the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemi
Truth or Fiction?→ Rep. Jack Kimble: ‘I Find It Very Suspicious …’
In July 2021, Facebook users and pages began sharing screenshots of a tweet attributed to “Rep. Jack Kimble” (@repjackkimble), in which he appeared to speculate on the reasons unvaccinated people were likelier to be infected and become ill
Truth or Fiction?→ Rep. Matt Gaetz Says if Democrats Pass Voting Bill, Republicans Will ‘Never Win Another Election’
On July 18 2021, the Facebook page “Call to Activism” shared the following quote meme, claiming that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) said that if Democrats pass “their voting rights bill,” then Republicans will “never win anot
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook’s Reshuffling of Data Tool Worries Researchers and Collaborators
A New York Times column on Facebook’s actions against the data analysis tool CrowdTangle prompted concern from both independent researchers and at least one group collaborating with the platform. According to Kevin Roose, a tech columnist for the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This Picture Was Taken in 1925, Of a Girl Visiting Her Twin Sisters Grave’
On July 14 2021, a Facebook account shared the following image and explanation to a Facebook group; it purportedly showed an image taken in 1925 of a girl at a cemetery visiting the grave of her deceased twin sister: This picture was taken in 1925. It
Truth or Fiction?→ National Kool Aid Day 2021 and Mike Lindell’s ‘Trump Return’ Claim
On July 14 2021, a graphic appeared on Imgur claiming that MyPillow chief executive officer Mike Lindell says that former United States President Donald Trump will be “reinstated” as president despite resoundingly losing to Democratic Par
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Friendly Roast in 2015,’ ‘HRC Being Roasted’
In July 2021, a TikTok video was shared to Facebook, bearing the labels “Friendly Roast in 2015” and “HRC Being Roasted” — purportedly showing former U.S. President Donald Trump “roasting” former Democratic pre
Truth or Fiction?→ Anti-Vaccine Disinformation Campaign Echoes ‘Doctor’s Plot’ Rhetoric
An ongoing medical disinformation campaign took a sharp turn in July 2021, when right-wing commentators and politicians pivoted to direct attacks against continued efforts by the Biden administration to get more Americans vaccinated against COVID-19. T
Truth or Fiction?→ Biden Admin HHS Secretary’s ‘Absolutely the Government’s Business’ Vaccine Remarks
On July 8 2021, a number of partisan outlets asserted that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said it was “‘absolutely the government’s business’ what medical decisions you make for yourself and your famil
Truth or Fiction?→ SF Gay Men’s Chorus ‘Convert Your Children’ Song
On July 8 2021, Dinesh D’Souza tweeted and published a Rumble.com video with “SF Gay Men’s Chorus Literally Sings ‘We’re Coming for Your Children'”: SF Gay Men's Chorus Literally Sings "We're Coming f
Truth or Fiction?→ Wi Spa Weaponized Disinformation Campaign
In late June and early July 2021, far-right activists attempted to launch a new disinformation campaign in the wake of a viral video of a woman harassing staff at a traditional public bathhouse in an historic Los Angeles neighborhood The video, which w
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Blames GOP for Defunding Police’
On July 1 2021, the right-wing blog DailyWire.com published a story with the headline, “Psaki Blames GOP For Defunding Police, But She Can’t Name 1 Republican Who Called For Defunding Police,” which claimed that White House Press Secreta
Truth or Fiction?→ Golliwog Facebook Post
In June 2021, an indifferently punctuated January 2020 Facebook “golliwog” post was widely shared — along with a demonstrably false claim that the offensive content was at risk of being censored: The engagement-baiting text, which wa
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Biden Energy Sec. Suggests Climate Change Could Have Caused Florida Building Collapse’
On June 29 2021, a Bongino Report clip (“Biden Energy Sec. Suggests Climate Change Could Have Caused Florida Building Collapse”) was shared to video hosting site Rumble.com, covering the devastating June 24 2021 collapse of a building in M
Truth or Fiction?→ YouTube Reverses Course, Reinstates Watchdog Site Monitoring Conspiracists
The media watchdog site Right Wing Watch (RWW) was reinstated onto YouTube after the platform initially removed its channel on June 28 2021 for unspecified reasons. “We are glad that by reinstating our account, YouTube recognizes our position tha
Truth or Fiction?→ Study Fails to Find Any Tuna DNA Inside Subway Tuna Sandwich
A viral June 22 2021 @Complex tweet contained a startling claim — that a “new study” utilizing DNA testing technology failed to find any tuna whatsoever in what was supposed to be a Subway tuna sandwich: New study fails to find any
Truth or Fiction?→ Conspiracists Seize on Study to Attack COVID-19 Mask Mandates
Far-right conspiracy theorists began circling in May 2021 around a study “pre-print” they claimed vindicated their refusal to wear face masks to blunt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, posted in the journal BioRxiv (pronounced
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is What Bravery Looks Like, Not a Man Wearing a Dress’
In June 2021, an image captioned “this is what bravery looks like, not a man wearing a dress” recirculated, often used to punctuate a point about gender identity: pic.twitter.com/Go1cBuyeNZ — Jerry Wares (@JerryWares) June 17, 2021
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the ‘Illinois Father’ Who Criticized CRT Candace Owens’ Brother?
On June 18 2021, Twitter discourse about a viral video of an “Illinois father” discussing critical race theory expanded to suggest the man in the video was Candace Owens’ brother: This is literally Candace Owens’s brother. I’m
Truth or Fiction?→ Fox’s Tucker Carlson Pushes Conspiracy Theory Blaming FBI For Capitol Riot
Television presenter Tucker Carlson pushed another far right conspiracy theory downplaying the rioters who attacked the United States Capitol in January 2021, suggesting on his show that the attack was orchestrated by federal “operatives.”
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ashleigh Shackelford Teaching Critical Race Theory’ Video
On June 13 2021, Twitter user @ConceptualJames shared a video which purportedly shows artist and activist Hunter Ashleigh Shackelford teaching critical race theory: "All white people are racist…" "No, you're always going to
Truth or Fiction?→ The ‘Critical Race Theory’ Coordinated Disinformation Campaign
An inauthentically organized, corrosive disinformation campaign taking direct aim at social resilience and anti-racism pushes has taken over school boards throughout the United States in what appears to be a highly coordinated national push — whi
Truth or Fiction?→ Foreign Influence Agents Goaded Trump Forums After U.S. Elections, Researchers Say
Foreign agents — particularly those working from or on behalf of Russia — were active on Donald Trump-themed forums in the weeks and months leading up to the January 6 2021 coup attempt at the United States Capitol, a new report says. Accor
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Biden Mindlessly Claims White Supremacy is a Bigger Threat to America than ISIS or Terrorism’
On June 1 2021, United States President Joe Biden gave a speech acknowledging the anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, offering comments that seem to have pushed disinformation purveyors into previously undreamt-of heights of fantasy. For examp
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This Photo of Chick-Fil-This Photo of Chick-Fil-a Honoring Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day Is Triggering Liberals’
In May 2021, a year-old post about a Chick-Fil-A’s table “honoring fallen soldiers” recirculated, with a secondary claim that the rather innocuous image was somehow “triggering liberals” across social media: Folded flags
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Jeffrey Westerfield’ Facebook Post
A virally popular May 2021 Facebook post purportedly told the story of Jeffrey Westerfield, identifying him as a police officer who was killed on his 47th birthday and co-opting the “Say Her Name” movement by adding “Say MY Name”
Truth or Fiction?→ International Disinfo Machines Turning After State-Sponsored Kidnapping of Belarusian Journalist
On May 24 2021, in the hours and days after Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich was taken from a Ryanair flight that had been rediverted to Minsk and arrested along with his girlfriend, graduate student Sofia Sapega, in a dramatic state-
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘AOC Announces She’s in Therapy’ and ‘Implies Lawmakers Effectively Served in War’ Interview Excerpt
A May 25 2021 WesternJournal.com editorial headlined, “AOC Announces She’s in Therapy After Jan. 6, Implies Lawmakers Effectively ‘Served in War,” began — as one might expect — with a lot of inaccuracies and general
Truth or Fiction?→ The New Hampshire Election Audit
In late May 2021, we spotted a number of “NH election audit” posts on social media (part of a larger narrative push around outcome of the 2020 election), including a May 25 2021 Facebook post on a known disinformation page, “ForAmeri
Truth or Fiction?→ Are People Returning Pandemic Pets?
Social media and “shaming” often go hand in hand, as was the case with claims that pets were being returned en masse by selfish owners in May 2021 after adopting them at the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic: Can we all agree the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Black Lives Matter Says It Stands with Hamas’ Fox News Stealth Edit
On May 19 2021, Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) tweeted that Fox News had reported a story with the headline, “Black Lives Matter says it stands with Hamas,” which the network later quietly retracted: Fox News published a false headline, attem
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Safety’ App Citizen Pushes Users to ‘Bring Justice’ Against Wrong Man in L.A. Arson Probe
Authorities in Los Angeles announced on May 17 2021 that they had arrested a suspect in an arson investigation, around 48 hours after a “safety” app had posted a photograph falsely identifying a man as the possible culprit. Fire Chief Ralph
Truth or Fiction?→ @KaitMarieox ‘Might Just Start Wearing A Mask Again … Wouldn’t Want To Give Off The Impression That I’m A Vaccinated Democrat’ Tweet
On May 17 2021 screenshots of a purported tweet from Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) circulated, in which she purportedly stated that she might start “wearing a mask again” to avoid the impression she was a “vaccinated Democrat”:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There Is No Such Thing as a Blue State, Only Blue Cities’ Tweet
In early May 2021, a tweet showing a map of the United States swathed in mostly red with a scattering of blue appeared, and it quickly went viral: The text that accompanied the image, from an account going by @TABYTCHI, said: There is no such thing a
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Beauty Therapist Cuts Off Lashes After Client’s Card is Declined’ Story Goes Viral
On May 9 2021, UK tabloid The Sun (along with its Scottish counterpart) published an item with the shocking headline, “Beauty therapist CUTS OFF woman’s eyelashes after her card payment fails”: The Rumor and The Sun Screenshots like the
Truth or Fiction?→ A Labor Shortage in 2021? Viral ‘Signs’ Are Not Employment Data
As the world began to emerge from more than a year of pandemic-related uncertainty in May 2021, an avalanche of photographs showing signs about businesses being “short staffed” because “no one wants to work” on social media p