On March 21 2020, Facebook and Twitter users began sharing purportedly official guidelines for COVID-19 and sex, attributed to the New York City Health Department: the NYC department of health says that during the COVID-19 pandemic “you are your s
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Belgium’s Health Minister Ban ‘Non-Essential Sexual Activities of Three or More’ Due to Coronavirus Concerns?
Amid a worldwide COVID-19 crisis on March 21 2020, a headline circulated — “Belgium Health Minister Puts Ban On Non-essential Sexual Activities Of Persons 3 Or Greater In Indoor Areas.” Often spreading without a link, occasionally th
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘The Purge’ Feed Set on March 22 2020?
One in five Americans were on official coronavirus lockdown on March 21 2020, and many of those Americans watched movies to pass the time — leading to a rumor that those viewing 2013’s The Purge spotted surveillance feed video in the f
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Florida County Official Promote a Bogus Right-Wing COVID-19 ‘Cure’?
A member of a small county commission in Florida became an online laughingstock after video spread of him endorsing a widely-debunked cure for COVID-19 (a.k.a. the “coronavirus”) by a right-wing “news” outlet to his colleagues.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Florida City Cut Residents’ Power During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A confrontation between officials in Lake Worth Beach, Florida drew attention after a member of the local city commission criticized his colleagues of not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. “This is a banana republic, is what you’re t
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Have ‘Advance Knowledge’ of COVID-19?
In mid-March 2020, as the United States continued to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the anti-science blog Natural News posted a “story” pushing the claim that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, “appears
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘100 Million Masks’ — Are Homemade Masks Sufficient for COVID-19 First Responders?
On March 20 2020, KOMO anchor Mary Nam shared a photograph of a person wearing a surgical mask (a form of personal protective equipment, or PPE, known to be in short supply due the coronavirus pandemic), and put out a call for anyone who knows how to
Truth or Fiction?→ Rapunzel Was Quarantined in ‘Tangled,’ Google the Name of Her Kingdom?
As coronavirus quarantine memes circulated in mid-March 2020, one referenced the Disney film Tangled, first stating that Rapunzel was “quarantined” during the film, and then tacking on people should “Google” the name of her k
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Crosses out ‘Corona’ on Virus Prepared Remarks, Writes ‘Chinese’
On March 19 2020, a number of tweets purportedly showed a close-up of United States President Donald Trump’s prepared remarks on the progress of a coronavirus pandemic, where he apparently used a marker to cross out the “corona” of &
Truth or Fiction?→ Chuck Grassley’s ‘Spanish Flu’ Tweet Adds to Wave of Xenophobic COVID-19 Rhetoric From GOP
As United States President Donald Trump and his supporters continued to try to normalize xenophobic rhetoric surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa came under criticism online for his own effort. “I don’t unders
Truth or Fiction?→ Is St. Corona the Patron Saint of Epidemics?
As novel coronavirus COVID-19 swept the majority Catholic country of Italy in March 2020, rumors appeared that Italians had begun praying to a St. Corona — who was, incidentally, “the patron saint of epidemics.” A March 11 post to th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Property Management Company Tell Tenants to Pay Rent First During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A South Carolina property management company became a symbol for the anger and concern that tenants around the United States felt in the wake of the changes to their lives and livelihoods brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The criticis
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the United Way’s COVID-19 Helpline Accessible at 866-211-9966?
In mid-March 2020, a Facebook status update screenshot began circulating, advising anyone in need that United Way had a COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund which could be accessed by calling 1-866-211-9966: Black text on a pink and purple backgro
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Timeline of Trump’s COVID-19 Statements’ Meme
As criticism spread against United States President Donald Trump’s administration for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, one graphic disseminated on social media listed his multiple attempts to downplay the disease: In thi
Truth or Fiction?→ Will Americans Go Into a Four-Week Quarantine on April 1 2020?
In mid-March 2020, completely unsubstantiated but frightening rumors began circulating about a four-week-long quarantine blanketing the entire United States, purportedly to begin on April 1 2020. The rumor spread from person to person in individual
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Coronavirus Put Dogs at Risk Because Hand Sanitizer Has the Same Ingredients as Antifreeze?
On March 14 2020, a Facebook status update (archived here) claiming that pet owners should be aware that hand sanitizer “has the same ingredients as antifreeze” went viral after an uptick in hand sanitizer use due to an ongoing COVID-19 o
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Amazon Suspending All Non-Essential Shipments Except for Medical Supplies and and ‘High-Demand’ Products?
On March 17 2020, a number of tweets suggested a massive looming disruption in the flow of products from Amazon to customers, claiming that only medical supplies and “high-demand items” would be available for up to a month: BREAKING
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘4 GOP Senators’ Self-Quarantine After Voting Against the Coronavirus Relief Bill?
In mid-March 2020, as Republican lawmakers faced criticism online over a bill that would provide sick pay to some American workers, a graphic spreading on Facebook spread disinformation about both the bill’s progress and the way the vote broke d
Truth or Fiction?→ WIC-Approved Items and Coronavirus #SocialDistancing
On March 16 2020, the Facebook page “Vote Common Good” shared a screenshot of a tweet about social distancing, WIC-approved items, and conscientious coronavirus stock-up shopping: Labeled “a practical way to show kindness,”
Truth or Fiction?→ Has Italy Stopped Treating COVID-19 in the Elderly?
As Italy grappled with the spread of COVID-19, American Facebook users took that as their opportunity to insult a national health service. “Italy has decided NOT to treat their elderly for this virus !!!! That, my friends, is Socialized Health
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘Nancy and the Dems’ Try to ‘Slip Taxpayer-Funded Abortion’ into a Coronavirus Aid Bill?
On March 12 2020, a Facebook user shared a status update claiming that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the entire Democratic Party tried to “slip taxpayer-funded abortions” into a funding package designed to help blunt the worst effects of
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Trump Will Evoke What Is Called the Stafford Act’ Viral Post
Amid growing concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus strain COVID-19 in mid-March 2020 and lack of information from the United States government, corrosive and weaponized disinformation thrived in the form of chain emails, Facebook posts, and te
Truth or Fiction?→ NTNU in Norway Warns about Coronavirus, the United States’ Healthcare and Infrastructure
On March 14 2020, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) advised students abroad to return home in the face of a global COVID-19 pandemic. The warning was for “countries with poorly developed collective infrastructure, for exa
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Companies With More Than 500 Workers Exempt From a Coronavirus Relief Bill?
Shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the House Resolution 6201 that both Democrats and Republicans promised would help American workers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, both parties came under criticism for an exemption that woul
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Two Congressmen Propose a Bill Granting Americans Between $1,000 and $6,000?
A new bill proposed by two Democratic Party congressmen would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for Americans who earned less than $65,000 in 2019 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. News of the bill by Reps. Ro Khanna (California) and Rep.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did 12,000 Americans Die of H1N1/Swine Flu, and Were 275,000 Hospitalized?
As concerns over novel coronavirus strain COVID-19 crested in mid-March 2020, comparisons between the effects of the strain versus that of H1N1 (or “swine flu”) more than a decade before triggered a flurry of fact checks, a Facebook flag o
Truth or Fiction?→ Stephen King ‘Coronavirus Is not Like ‘The Stand’ Response Tweet
On March 11 2020, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a screenshot of a popular Twitter exchange between author Stephen King and another Twitter user, during which King denied the COVID-19 global pandemic was “like The Stand,”
Truth or Fiction?→ South Korea Tested 200,000, the CDC Tested 77 in a Week, and the Utah Jazz Tested 58 Players for COVID-19 in Hours?
On March 12 2020, Twitter user @SawyerHackett tweeted that South Korea had managed to test 200,000 people for novel coronavirus strain COVID-19, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only tested 77 people in a week — adding
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Hackers Using Fake ‘Coronavirus Maps’ to Import Malware?
In March 2020, as global fears about the COVID-19 pandemic continued to grow among a morass of disinformation and state-sponsored propaganda, security experts warned about websites using their fear of the novel coronavirus to infect their machines and
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro Test Positive for COVID-19?
A tweet reporting that Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro had tested positive for COVID-19 circulated quickly online on March 12 2020 before being taken down, although after it was removed it still moved around social media in screenshot form. Th
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Trump Caught Saying ‘Fuck’ on a Live Mic?
During a televised address to the nation about the COVID-19 pandemic, United States President Donald Trump was caught twice unaware that he was being recorded. Before beginning the March 11 2020 address, Trump could be heard saying, “A what? Oh
Truth or Fiction?→ Is There a COVID-19 ‘Loophole’ in Blood Donations?
For a brief period of time, a Twitter user’s admittedly “bold and brash” — but wrong — idea about a “loophole” allowing people more access to testing for COVID-19 got widespread traction on the platform. On Ma
Truth or Fiction?→ COVID-19 in Toilet Paper Meme
Around March 9 2020, a meme joking about “COVID-19 found in toilet paper” began spreading on Imgur, Facebook, Twitter, and other sites: On what looked like a screengrab of a news site or television news, text read: Breaking News COVID-19
Truth or Fiction?→ Unsourced ‘Intensivist’ Thread Spreads on Twitter as COVID-19 Hits Italy
In March 2020, as more nations grappled with a novel coronavirus pandemic, social media users continued to promote unsourced chain-letter “messages” online as people searched for reliable and credible information. One of the latest instanc
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A Cry from Italy’: ‘Heart of Coronavirus’ Outbreak Facebook Post
On March 10 2020, screenshots of a “cry from Italy” attributed to a doctor in Bergamo appeared on several platforms; one iteration on Imgur was viewed more than 100,000 times in just half a day as people searched for reliable information a
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Searches for International Men’s Day Peak on International Women’s Day?
On March 7 2020, one day before International Women’s Day, @the_female_lead tweeted a screenshot claiming that there is also an International Men’s Day — but searches for the latter spiked around International Women’s Day every
Truth or Fiction?→ AOC Did Not Say the ‘Only Reason Trump is Keeping His Promises is to Infuence the Outcome’ of the 2020 Election
In late January 2020, memes circulated on Twitter claiming that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) said that “the “nly reason President Trump is keeping his campaign promises is to influence the outcome of the 2020 election”:
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden Say He Would Veto a ‘Medicare for All’ Bill?
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was criticized in March 2020 following an interview with MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell as he faced accusations of intending to veto a bill expanding Medicare services for all Americans. The exchange fr
Truth or Fiction?→ If You Misspell BernieSanders.com as BernieSander.com, Do You Get Redirected to a Donation Page for the Biden Campaign?
On March 10 2020, a Twitter user shared a Reddit thread about a purported redirect from “BernieSander.com” (versus “BernieSanders.com”) to a campaign donation page for Joe Biden: No matter what you think about Bernie/Biden
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘World of Warcraft’ Once Hit by a Virus That Was Subsequently Studied by Researchers?
As the COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus disease) continued to spread in March 2020, social media users flashed back to a “pandemic” that unfolded nearly 20 years earlier — but this one took place entirely in the virtual world. According to