In February 2020, a screenshot (missing a date) circulated on Facebook, featuring a tweet by journalist Barbara Ehrenrich about how “20 states now” revoked driver’s licenses of people who had not been paying back their student loans:
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Lyndon B. Johnson Vote Against Civil Rights Legislation for Twenty Years?
Right-wing commentator Candace Owens distorted the record of former United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during both a televised appearance and on Twitter in February 2020 in an effort to paint the Democratic Party as being anti-Black. The remark
Truth or Fiction?→ Fish Mox: ‘Same Antibiotic, Same Pill, Same Manufacturer, Same Drug’ as Amoxicillin?
On February 17 2020 a Facebook user shared the following post, claiming that a product called “Fish Mox” is the “same antibiotic, same pill,” and “same drug” as the common antibiotic amoxicillin: Alongside three
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Man Arrested for Allegedly Forcing a Woman to Watch ‘Roots’ to ‘Better Understand’ Her Racism?
On February 17 2020, an odd story came out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa via The Gazette, about the arrest of a man who allegedly forced made a woman watch the mini-series Roots so that she might better understand her own racism: A Cedar Rapids man [Rober
Truth or Fiction?→ For ‘Silent Help,’ ‘Ring 999, Then Press 55’
In January 2020, a Facebook photograph of a printed sign purportedly provided valuable advice to callers of 999, several countries’ version of the United States’ 911 — claiming that for “silent help,” callers impeded from
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You Make $50,000/Year, $36 of Your Taxes Goes to Food Stamps, $4,000 Goes to Corporate Subsidies’
A February 14 2020 tweet about “socialism” and a putative $50,000 wage earner paying $36 in tax towards food stamps and $4,000 towards corporate subsidies went wildly viral, appearing in screenshots on Facebook and discussion forums in the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘God Bows Down to President Donald J. Trump’ Sign
A sign expressing a particularly outlandish message supporting United States President Donald Trump grabbed attention online in February 2020: A photograph of the sign — bearing the message “God bows down to President Donald J. Trump, dec
Truth or Fiction?→ Captain Cook’s Death: Why Anti-Colonialists Celebrate February 14th
If you’re tired of the Valentine’s Day hype, consider this: Some people on social media are going with a of a British explorer’s death at the hands of indigenous Hawaiians as a way to mark February 14th instead. For example, Facebook
Truth or Fiction?→ Jeff Bezos Bought a $165M House, the Equivalent of a $75 House if You Make $60,000 a Year?
In February 2020, tweets and screenshots appeared, claiming that Amazon chief executive officer Jeff Bezos had recently purchased a $165 million house — typically with the caveat that the acquisition was about the same as someone who made $60,00
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Amazon’s First CFO Killed by One of the Company’s Delivery Trucks?
The cause of death of Amazon’s first chief financial officer in 2013 was quickly snapped up by online users after it was finally revealed six years later and cited as an example of recklessness by the company she had helped propel to the heights
Truth or Fiction?→ Tennessee State Legislature’s Bill to Recognize CNN, Washington Post as ‘Fake News’
On February 11 2020, tweets and social media posts alluded to “an actual bill” in the state of Tennessee, aimed at labeling CNN and the Washington Post as “fake news”: This is an ACTUAL Bill being debated by the Tennessee St
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Can We Brainstorm Ways to Make This Sound Less Racist’ Michael Bloomberg Subreddit Post
Amid ongoing controversy involving Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg and his attitude toward New York City’s stop-and-frisk policies, blogger and reporter Zaid Jilani tweeted a screenshot from Reddit’s r/PresidentBloomberg — in whi
Truth or Fiction?→ Did North Dakota Republicans ‘Block Native Americans From Voting’?
Stories continue to circulate online about a federal judge’s October 2018 ruling around a North Dakota voter identification law, but readers on social media may not be aware that as of February 2020, the legal fight against the law has not concl
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mods are Asleep, Post Mike Bloomberg in Epstein’s Black Book’
On February 11 2020, a tweet (also shared to Facebook) invoked the “mods are asleep” meme in a broader post about former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s purported appearance in the late Jeffrey Epstein’s “little blac
Truth or Fiction?→ Does an Image Show the Ku Klux Klan Marching with a Trump/Pence Banner?
On February 9 2020, a Facebook page called “The Truth Fairy” shared the following image, which purportedly showed the Ku Klux Klan marching with a Trump/Pence banner in support of the election (or re-election) of United States President D
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Michael Bloomberg Say Young Men of Color Commit ’95 Percent of Your Murders’?
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s defense of “stop and frisk” police tactics disproportionately targeting young people of color was brought back to light after audio from a 2015 speech found new life on social me
Truth or Fiction?→ Does One of President Trump’s Retweets Display ‘BERNIE BEATS TRUMP’?
On February 11 2020, a screenshot of United States President Donald Trump retweeting an account showing the name “BERNIE BEATS TRUMP” appeared on Twitter: Ladies and gentlemen, we got him pic.twitter.com/bcCdtluxky — BERNIE BEATS T
Truth or Fiction?→ The #BroomChallenge: Can Your Broom Stand up Because of the Vernal Equinox or Planetary Alignments?
On February 10 2020, memes and posts about a #BroomChallenge began circulating around Facebook, claiming that an arcane gravitational anomaly (usually chalked up to being caused by a “planetary alignment” or the “vernal equinox”
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Americans Getting Jailed for Unpaid Medical Debt?
On February 10 2020, a story about people in Kansas being jailed over medical debt spread on Facebook and Reddit: "You wouldn’t think you’d go to jail over medical bills": County in rural Kansas is jailing people over
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Justin Trudeau Say That ‘Islam is the Only Way to Improve Life in Canada’?
A recurring pattern of smear attempts against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flared up yet again in February 2020, when a Facebook user attempted to gin up a meme about him using a debunked, Islamophobic rumor: The February 8 2020 post show
Truth or Fiction?→ On This Day: You Can Tell Facebook Not to Show Memories that Upset You
On February 6 2020, Facebook user Tomayia Colvin posted about Facebook’s On This Day/Memories feature, and what is perhaps a little-known setting enabling users to filter out specific names and dates for entries they might wish not to see: &n
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Powerful American Stories Ripped to Shreds by Nancy Pelosi’
On February 6 2020, United States President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) shared a disinformation video on Twitter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, apparently “ripping … powerful American stories to shreds”: pic.twitter.com/QhTWvc
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Pete Buttigieg’s Campaign Insert ‘Artificial Applause’ Into a Video Ad?
A progressive activist group highlighted an editing trick used in a video promoting Democratic Party presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s campaign on Twitter in early February 2020. The Center for Popular Democracy’s tweet, which has b
Truth or Fiction?→ Angelika Greg-Delany #WalkAway Campaign: ‘I Came From the Soviet Socialist Part of the Ukraine, I Barely Survived’
Late on February 6 or early February 7 2020, Facebook user “Angelika Greg-Delany” shared a purportedly true account to the group #WalkAway Campaign — purportedly first about her encounter with a Russia-bashing “Bernie Sanders s
Truth or Fiction?→ Is H&R Block ‘Sex Worker Friendly’?
In January 2020, a post claiming that tax preparer H&R Block was “sex worker friendly” circulated — first on Twitter, then on Facebook: Hey sex workers if taxes are intimidating to you don’t forget H&R Block is sex worker
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Nancy Pelosi Violate ’18 Code US 2071 B’ by Tearing Up Trump’s State of the Union Speech?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s widely-reported decision to tear United States President Donald Trump’s printed State of the Union speech apart on February 4 2020 led to a predictably high amount of social media chatter, among it claims that
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Supporters Sabotage the Iowa Caucus Hotlines on Election Night?
On February 6 2020, a number of news organizations reported that the chaos during (and following) the Iowa caucus was exacerbated by a flood of calls to an election night hotline made by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump to further confuse the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is a Real-Life Post by an Anti-Abortion Activist, You Can’t Make This S*** Up’
On February 3 2020, Twitter user @HayleeFarless shared the following purported screenshot of a woman named Jamie Jeffries to a closed Facebook group called, “Are You Even Pro-Life?” with a comment claiming that it was “a real-life po
Truth or Fiction?→ Chinese Media Walks Back Reports Linking Doctor’s Death to Coronavirus
A January 2020 story about a 62-year-old doctor who reputedly died “at the front lines” of fighting a coronavirus outbreak in China was walked back by state media within the country after the report spread internationally. Both the China G
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Pete Buttigieg’s Campaign Donate $42,500 to Iowa Caucus App Developer Shadow, Inc.?
On February 4 2020, Twitter user Ariän El-Tahry tweeted a claim that Shadow, Inc., the company that built an app used to tally votes in the chaotic Iowa caucus the day before, had received donations from groups associated with only two candidate
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Bernie Sanders’ Campaign ‘Have Five Lawyers’ Contact Democratic Officials in Iowa?
Amid heavy criticism of breakdowns in the February 3 2020 Iowa Democratic Party caucus, a progressive congressional candidate attracted attention to himself with a claim involving a meeting between members of the Democratic National Committee and staf
Truth or Fiction?→ Which States Will Caucus in 2020?
On February 4 2020, the American political news cycle was dominated with news of chaos and delayed results after Iowa’s caucus the previous day; Iowans were the first to cast primary votes in the relatively uncommon format of a caucus, drawing e
Truth or Fiction?→ Social Media Platforms Spread Epoch Times’ Iowa Caucus Disinformation
Another debunked claim from a right wing “activist” group responsible for chronic disinformation continued to spread on social media on February 3 2020 as voters in Iowa prepared for the Democratic Party presidential caucus. The group R
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Farmers in Haiti Reject Donated Monsanto Seeds After the 2010 Earthquake?
On February 1 2020, the Facebook page “Inhumans of Late Capitalism” shared the following screenshot of a Tumblr post, which contained a description of how farmers in Haiti refused to accept seed donations from Monsanto after a devastatin
Truth or Fiction?→ Director James Gunn Refutes Fake Instagram Post Fueling ‘Guardians’ Coverage
In a microcosm of the problem with aggregation-based reporting, film director James Gunn went online to refute a story circulating about him that relied on a falsified photograph of one of his social media accounts. On February 1 2020, the pop-culture
Truth or Fiction?→ Did John Kerry Tweet and Delete a ‘F***ing’ Denial That He Intended to Run for President?
On February 3 2020, Twitter briefly lit up with delight over apparent swears from the normally sanguine John Kerry, who had purportedly taken to Twitter to state that any rumors that he planned a 2020 presidential run were “fucking (or categor
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Coronavirus?
A novel strain of coronavirus discovered in Wuhan, China in late 2019 led to a flood of rumors, among them claims that the long-running American cartoon series The Simpsons “predicted coronavirus” in 1993: The Simpsons have done it agai
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A Quick Peek at Which States are Googling Bernie Sanders the Most Over the Last 30 Days’
On January 28 2020, Twitter user Wes Holing (@wesholing) shared the following screenshot of a map graph, a purported “quick peek at which states are Googling Bernie Sanders the most over the last 30 days”: Time to take a quick peek at wh
Truth or Fiction?→ Where Does the Phrase ‘Eat the Rich’ Come From?
In late January 2020, a meme about the popular phrase “eat the rich” began circulating on Imgur and Facebook in a long screenshot apparently taken from Tumblr: In the screenshot were two Tumblr posts, the first of which was shared by u/as