On July 6 2023, a post to Reddit’s r/todayilearned subreddit shared a post about United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and “The Business Plot” of 1933: TIL of The Business Plot of 1933, a failed attempt t
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump ‘Leaked’ Obama’s Address
In late June 2023, headlines appeared about a far-right activist named Taylor Taranto who had been arrested for apparently casing the neighborhood of former United States President Barack Obama after broadcasting a series of escalating threats: Taylor
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Please Don’t Send Us Unsolicited Nude Pics… Sincerely the Aliens’ Meme
On July 6 2023, an Imgur account shared a meme which referenced “unsolicited nude pics” sent by humans into space: The meme had two parts, including a simple line drawing of two naked humans at the bottom. Text appended to the top of the m
Truth or Fiction?→ Cartier Boss with $7.5 Billion Fears ‘Prospect of the Poor Rising Up’ Every Night
On July 3 and 4 2023, screenshots of a headline (“Cartier boss with $7.5bn fortune says prospect of the poor rising up ‘keeps him awake at night'”) spread in three popular iterations on Twitter (and in many scattered tweets): We’
Truth or Fiction?→ The New York Times’ ‘Ways You Can Still Cancel’ Student Loan Debt
After the Supreme Court’s June 30 2023 ruling blocking the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness program, screenshots of a New York Times article about “ways you can still cancel your student debt” were shared to Tw
Truth or Fiction?→ Crocodile ‘Virgin Birth’
On June 27 2023, the concept of parthenogenesis made its way around social media after an Imgur user shared a meme about a crocodile’s “virgin birth” in the form of a screenshot: Praise No date for the headline was visible in the sc
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Wilhelm Scream’ Found
On June 29 2023, an Imgur account shared a news screenshot, asserting that the famous audio snippet known in popular culture as the “Wilhelm scream” was found “in an archive” in California: Poor Wilhelm Alongside a post title
Truth or Fiction?→ Right-Wing Media Pushes Claims of Ukrainian ‘Baby Factories’
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued through 2023, so did attempts by right-wing bloggers and broadcasters on the fringe to generate and promulgate ghoulish allegations against Ukrainians. One recent example is the claim that Russian troops dis
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Memento Homo’ and Untrustworthy Google Results
On June 26 2023, Google took another turn toward actively disinforming readers when the search engine propagated a joke tweet by Twitter account @WeirdMedieval as a legitimate translation: crying bc google is propagating my fake news pic.twitter.c
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Yevgeniy Prigozhin’ is ‘Under a Felony Indictment in the US’
After a June 2023 Wagner Group “rebellion” in Russia, the evolving story took yet another turn after its purported leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin was identified as being under “felony indictment” and “wanted” by the U.S
Truth or Fiction?→ NASA ‘Internet Apocalypse’ Outage Rumors, Explained
In June 2023, rumors that the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) warned of an “internet apocalypse” spread virally on platforms like TikTok and Reddit: What’s going on with NASA saying we could lose i
Truth or Fiction?→ A Moms For Liberty Chapter Quoted Hitler in Newsletter
On June 22 2023, claims that a chapter of far-right group Moms for Liberty in Hamilton County, Indiana had apologized “quoting Adolf Hitler” circulated on social media: Remember when members of the Republican Party went on a 3-day ran
Truth or Fiction?→ The French ‘Barbie’ Poster
On June 16 2023, images of a purported French promotional poster for the Barbie movie began circulating on social media, becoming virally popular due to a rumored double entendre (or “error”) in translation. The ‘French Barbie Poster
Truth or Fiction?→ Fake Twitter Account @OceanGateExpeds Suspended After Spreading OceanGate Disinformation
As efforts to locate a “missing submersible” operated by OceanGate Expeditions continued on June 21 2023, the Twitter account @OceanGateExpeds published several viral tweets. The account was eventually suspended, but not before putting out
Truth or Fiction?→ The Missing Submarine and the ‘Logitech Controller’
On June 20 2023, “Logitech” trended on Twitter amid claims that a missing submersible that was intended to visit the remains of the Titanic was “controlled by a Logitech controller”: The Titanic tourist submarine that went mi
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Kentucky Cutting Polling Places’
On June 20 2023, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a tweet about “Kentucky polling places,” specifically about a purported closure ahead of “Tuesday’s” primary: Voter disenchantment An image attached to the tweet
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Comer Admits Nobody Has Heard From Biden Informant in Three Years’
On June 16 2023, a Reddit user shared a post (“Comer admits nobody has heard from alleged Biden informant for three years”) to r/politics: Comer admits nobody has heard from alleged Biden informant for three years by u/Deroc
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Homosexuals Are Overrepresented …’
On June 13 2023 — amid a hugely weaponized disinformation narrative about queer and trans people timed to correspond with Pride Month — an iFunny commenter responded to a Pride flag-related post with a claim: “Despite being 2 percent
Truth or Fiction?→ ZipRecruiter ‘Crisis Actors Needed in Miami’
On June 12 2023, a screenshot of a tweet about a ZipRecruiter “crisis actors” job listing for Miami, Florida was shared to r/WhitePeopleTwitter: Be careful out there folks by u/greentreefer in WhitePeopleTwitter
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘We’re Not After Children, We Just Want to Live Our Lives’ Doctored Pride Image
On June 9 2023, a Twitter user shared a screenshot of a tweet featuring a purported photograph of a man wearing a “trans kids are sexy” shirt at an unspecified Pride event: That screenshot was shared as a response to a user objecting to ch
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the United States ‘Giving Away Free Lighthouses’?
In late May 2023, social media posts about the United States “giving away free lighthouses” appeared on sites like Reddit and Twitter: US to give away free lighthouses as GPS makes them unnecessary by u/diacewrb in nott
Truth or Fiction?→ The Amanda Gorman Banned Book Controversy, Explained
On June 7 2023, amid right-wing book-banning attempts sweeping the United States, poet and author Amanda Gorman addressed the banning of her own book The Hill We Climb at a Florida elementary school. Her book was part of a longrunning controversy about
Truth or Fiction?→ The ‘Donald J. Trump Resuscitation Room’ at the White Plains Hospital
On June 6 2023, business reporter Max Abelson shared a photograph to Twitter which purportedly showed a “Donald J. Trump Resuscitation Room” at “the White Plains hospital”: A real thing in the White Plains hospital pic.twitte
Truth or Fiction?→ Florida Judge Hinkle Grants Gender-Affirming Care Injunction: ‘Gender Identity is Real’
On June 6 2023, several Reddit users submitted posts about a Florida judge’s ruling on gender-affirming care in the state, indicating a significant development: Federal judge blocks Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans yo
Truth or Fiction?→ NYPD ‘ACAB’ Pride Car
In early June 2023, a post on r/WhitePeopleTwitter referenced a New York Police Department (NYPD) “Pride” vehicle, notable because the phrase “All Colors Are Beautiful” appeared in the Pride Month design motif: [A]l
Truth or Fiction?→ In a Friday News Dump, YouTube Announces Election Disinformation Policy Changes
On June 2 2023, a Reddit user shared a post claiming that YouTube altered a policy and was no longer restricting false claims about the 2020 election in the United States: YouTube changes policy to allow false claims about past US presidenti
Truth or Fiction?→ Elon Musk’s Pride Tweet
As Pride Month kicked off in June 2023, a post featuring a tweet attributed to Twitter owner Elon Musk was shared to Reddit’s r/WhitePeopleTwitter: From woke to joke by u/DemocracyStan in WhitePeopleTwitter The Reddi
Truth or Fiction?→ House Speaker Kevin McCarthy: ‘A Child That Has No Job’
On May 30 and 31 2023, screenshots of a tweet quoting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) on a “child” who “has no job” were shared to Reddit’s r/WhitePeopleTwitter and r/lostgeneration: Get these kids i
Truth or Fiction?→ AOC Parody Account on Twitter Aims to Confuse
On May 30 2023, screenshots appeared of a tweet by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), about a verified “parody account” targeting her: FYI there’s a fake account on here impersonating me and going viral. The Twitter CEO has e
Truth or Fiction?→ State Farm No Longer Insuring California Homes, Insurance Industry in Climate Crisis
On May 30 2023, The Recount tweeted about a purported decision by insurer State Farm, which would evidently no longer be accepting new applications from California homeowners: State Farm is no longer accepting new applications for homeowner insurance
Truth or Fiction?→ Ashley Babbitt Fundraiser Controversy
On May 29 2023, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a tweet by Ron Filipkowski, claiming that the “guy who set up the Ashli Babbitt fund reportedly stole all the money”: The guy who set up the Ashli Babbitt fund reportedly stole all t
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Banner for This Juneteenth Event Feature Two White People?
A popular image featuring a banner showing white people while promoting a national holiday with roots in Black American history is legitimate — and showed the source of criticism around a Juneteenth event in Greenville, South Carolina. The photog
Truth or Fiction?→ Anthony Bourdain on Henry Kissinger
On May 26 2023, multiple accounts shared a quote attributed to celebrity chef and travel correspondent Anthony Bourdain, on the topic of former American diplomat Henry Kissinger and his legacy in Cambodia: Henry Kissinger turns 100 by
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Only 11 People’ Responsible for Majority of ‘Book Ban’ Requests?
On May 23 2023, several social media posts popped up with the jarring claim that a majority of book removal or book ban requests in American schools were an effort by the same eleven individuals: This is what white minority rule looks like.https://t.
Truth or Fiction?→ Ann Coulter NAACP Tweet
On May 2023, a Reddit user shared an image to r/WhitePeopleTwitter, which was purportedly a screengrab of a tweet in which right-wing pundit Ann Coulter referenced a NAACP travel warning issued for Florida: The GOP needs to piss off by
Truth or Fiction?→ Rashid Buttar of the ‘Disinformation Dozen’ Reportedly Dies
On May 20 2023 social media rumors began circulating, claiming that health disinformation purveyor Rashid Buttar had died: Rashid Buttar, one of the Disinformation Dozen, Dies Suddenly – Nuts Blame the Covid Jab Even Though he was Unva
Truth or Fiction?→ Rep. Jack Kimble: ‘A Whopping 25% of American Students Are in the Bottom …’
On May 21 2023, a Reddit user shared a screenshot of a tweet about American students attributed to a “Rep. Jack Kimble” to the subreddit r/technicallythetruth: Can’t decide if this is satire by u/ShubhamG77 in tec
Truth or Fiction?→ Anti-Immigrant Claims Involving Homeless ‘Veterans’ Fall Apart
A group of homeless men in New York state were tricked into posing as veterans for the purposes of spreading a story shaming asylum seekers, the Mid-Hudson News reported on May 19 2023. “It was brought to my attention that two people came to the
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘Citi Bike Karen’ Right All Along, as Evidenced by a Receipt?
On May 19 2023, a highly popular Reddit post to r/facepalm was a confident assertion that “Citi Bike Karen” (a New York City nurse named Sarah Comrie) had been “right all along”: "Bike Karen" Was Right Aft
Truth or Fiction?→ Disney ‘Pulls Plug’ on Billion Dollar Florida Campus
On May 18 2023, a flurry of posts about Disney “pulling the plug” on a billion-dollar planned investment began appearing across social media, with popular posts on r/politics and r/LeopardsAteMyFace (twice): Disney Pulls Plug on