A February 2018 post (“An Experienced Butcher Admits: “When We See Cancer In The Pork, We Just Cut It And Still Sell It To Customers””) circulated widely on Facebook in October 2019, inspiring a fresh round of users vowing to never aga
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rolex Sales Records Help Solve a Murder?
In September 2019, a Reddit r/todayilearned post claimed that luxury watch manufacturer Rolex maintained such “meticulous” sales records that their data was used to solve an open homicide: TIL of The Rolex Murder. On July 28, 19
Truth or Fiction?→ Will 154,000,000 Pieces of Plastic from Christmas Crackers in the UK Wind Up in the Ocean in a Single Year?
In late September and early October 2019, a very specific claim involving Christmas crackers (a tradition involving devices called “party poppers” in some countries; they are made from cardboard and gunpowder, generally contain confetti or
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Scientists ‘Covering Up’ Global Warming Data?
Among the conspiracy theories bandied about by “nature”-themed blogs is the idea that scientists have conspired to gin up mass panics over the planet’s climate-warming emergency. One particularly hysterical claim was published by Nat
Truth or Fiction?→ Spooky Season, Activated Charcoal in Food, and Medication
On September 19 2019, a Facebook user shared a warning (archived here) that urged fans of the “spooky season” to avoid foods colored with activated charcoal due to its purported ability to prevent your body from absorbing medications. Al
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ulysses S. Grant Say a Second Civil War Could be Waged Over Intelligence Vs. Superstition?
On September 30 2019, pundit Malcolm Nance shared the following quote meme to Facebook, purportedly involving remarks made by former United States President Ulysses S. Grant on the prospect of a second Civil War: One day prior, U.S. Presiden
Truth or Fiction?→ Harry S. Truman ‘You Can’t Get Rich in Politics Unless You’re a Crook’ Meme
A December 2018 “McGroarty for Freedom” Facebook quote meme remained popular in circulation nearly a year later, attributing commentary about politics, wealth, and honesty to former United States President Harry S. Truman: Underneath a
Truth or Fiction?→ Breaking Down States Where a ‘Trans Panic’ Defense Is Not Illegal
A graphic posted on a transgender-oriented website’s Facebook page does, for the most part, illustrate a particular form of transphobic courtroom discrimination. The post by “TransMusePlanet,” which has been shared more than a thousa
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the FBI Say Knives are Used in Five Times More Murders than Rifles?
On October 1 2019 , the website AmericanMilitaryNews.com shared a post headlined, “FBI stats show 5 times more murders by knives than rifles in 2018”: That was shared thousands of times in less than 24 hours. An additional item claim
Truth or Fiction?→ Is it Now Illegal to Say ‘Illegal’ in New York City?
In late September and early October 2019, a number of posts on social media claimed that New York City had made it illegal to call anyone “illegal” or an “illegal alien.” A September 30 2019 video post by Tim Pool was titled &
Truth or Fiction?→ Would Trump Get to ‘Run Two More Times’ If He Is Not Impeached?
While he himself debunked the claim within hours, several readers contacted us asking if a scenario posted by disinformation purveyor and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec on October 1, 2019 was plausible. “These Democrats don’t realize th
Truth or Fiction?→ Comparing William Barr and Chelsea Manning’s Refusal to Comply with Subpoenas
A widely-shared graphic contrasting jailed whistleblower Chelsea Manning with United States Attorney General William Barr misinterprets the circumstances behind Manning’s incarceration. “Now seems a good time to point out the attorney gen
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a Video Show ‘Antifa Protesters’ Screaming at an Elderly Woman Crossing the Street?
In late September 2019, a video clip of masked people shouting at and blocking an elderly woman while she was using a walker to cross a street began to circulate on Twitter: Antifa protesters scream at & block elderly couple outside an event fea
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Dad’s Ashes a Brick’ Post
In November 2018, a Facebook user shared a set of screenshots showing a separate post about finding post-cremation ashes in “brick” form: In the first few screenshots, the original poster poses a question to fellow users about the pu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Iranian Censorship’ of Women’s Track and Field Competition Video
On September 30 2019, an Imgur post purportedly showing “Iranian TV censorship of women’s track and field competition” proved popular: Iranian TV censorship of women’s track and field competition The original poster didn̵
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Two Altar Boys Arrested for Putting Weed in the Censer Burner’ Claim
In September 2019, a number of social media users shared an article claiming two altar boys had been arrested for “putting weed in the censer-burner”: What started as a joke ended with the future of two altar boys from Spain. They were det
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Trump Is Now Trying To Get Mike Pence Impeached’ Claim
On September 25 2019, Politicus USA published an article headlined, “Trump Is Now Trying To Get Mike Pence Impeached,” claiming in part: During a press conference, Trump said that if he is going to be investigated, Vice President Pence’s
Truth or Fiction?→ Teddy Roosevelt’s Bar Fight: ‘If I’ve Got to, I’ve Got to’
On September 26 2019 an Imgur user shared the following Teddy Roosevelt “fun fact” meme: Messing with wrong Guy A post titled “Messing with [the] wrong guy” and referencing its subject as “Teddy Badass Roosevelt,
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Bill Passed in Iran Allowing Men to Marry Their Daughters?
An August 12 2019 TheYouth.in article (titled “A controversial Bill passed in Iran, it allows men to marry daughters, draws flak from other nations?”) circulated for weeks after its publication on Facebook. The article included no apparent
Truth or Fiction?→ Thomas Jefferson ‘Tyranny Is Defined as That Which Is Legal for the Government’ Quote
On September 27 2019, a Facebook user shared the following meme, which attributes a quote about tyranny to Thomas Jefferson: View post on imgur.com Underneath an image of what appeared to be a firearm trigger, text read: “Tyranny is defined as
Truth or Fiction?→ Elizabeth Warren Accused of Claiming to be Cherokee and Plagiarizing Recipes in ‘Pow Wow Chow’
On September 26 2019, a social media user tweeted out screenshots and text accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) of claiming Cherokee heritage and plagiarizing recipes from the New York Times: Elizabeth Warren not only claimed to be &qu
Truth or Fiction?→ Maurice Sendak: ‘He Saw It, He Liked It, He Ate It’
On September 24 2019, the Facebook page “Untitled Nerd Network” shared the following Maurice Sendak quote, purportedly telling the story of an eager young fan so pleased he received a card from the author that he “ate” it:
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Cotton Feed Sacks Turned Into Clothing in the 1930s?
While it may not be a case of deliberately misstating the context, the rediscovery online of a pioneering journalist’s photograph in 1939 by people on social media came with a far more optimistic view of the circumstances behind it than had prev
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Inside the Gills of a Whale Shark’
On September 25 2019, a Reddit user shared the following post (“Inside the gills of a whale shark”) to Reddit’s r/woahdude, and the post with an identical title was subsequently shared to Imgur: Inside the Gills of a whale
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Confederate Flag’s Designer Call it a Symbol of White Supremacy, Not Southern Heritage?
In September 2019, a July 2015 blog post circulated on Facebook, bearing the headline: “Confederate Flag Designer Said It Is A Symbol Of White Supremacy — Not Southern Heritage.” When rendered on Facebook, the link prominently displayed
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Simpsons Predicted Greta Thunberg’ Meme
There is a common, cyclical rumor that animated comedy series The Simpsons — which began its run in 1989 — has predicted numerous events to come. In September 2019, one such iteration claimed that climate crisis activist Greta Thunberg was amon
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Stella Brazier or Greta Thunberg Actually ‘Child Actresses’?
As part of their push to demonize young protesters demanding that their leaders recognize global warming, some far-right and climate change denier blogs have published the unsubstantiated claim that one Australian protester was actually performing, re
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump-Supporting Teens Trick Bernie Sanders into Posing with Them?
In late September 2019 a number of Facebook posters shared a photograph of Sen. Bernie Sanders posing with two high school girls in “Trump 2020” and “Make America Great Again” attire. Although some users shared it without a mis
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Greenland’ Boat in Arctic Ice Picture
On September 25 2019, a Reddit user shared a dramatic image to r/pics, titled simply “Greenland”: Greenland from pics Six days earlier, a different user shared the image to r/MostBeautiful, earning a fraction of th
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Another Teenager with an Important Message’ (About the Flint Water Crisis)
As Greta Thunberg made news (and fake news) on September 24 2019, a Reddit post featuring “another teenager with an important message” about Flint, Michigan’s purported lack of clean water quickly moved to the top of r/all:
Truth or Fiction?→ Storm Cloud in Benevento
On September 25 2019 a Reddit user shared a thread titled “Storm Cloud Benevento, Italy” to the r/pics subreddit: Storm Cloud Benevento, Italy. from pics On Reddit, the image quickly moved to the top of r/all. Its
Truth or Fiction?→ Esfuerzos Desinformativos Usan a George Soros Para Criticar a la Activista Greta Thunberg
La campaña de la activista Greta Thunberg insistiendo que líderes mundiales tomen medidas más fuertes con respecto al peligro climático fue recibida con más intentos de usar desinformación contra ella. Algunos usuarios de las redes sociales invo
Truth or Fiction?→ Online Disinformation Tries to Link Greta Thunberg with George Soros
As Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s campaign for world governments to meaningfully address climate danger gained more attention, so did the amount of online misinformation thrown at her. For some social media users, that meant invoking far-righ
Truth or Fiction?→ Were There No Flags at the Democratic Debate?
On August 1 2019, the following post was shared to Facebook (archived here), claiming no American flags were on display at an unspecified Democratic debate: View post on imgur.com Text on the image itself read: No American flags in an American presi
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Man Find a Dead Mouse in a Nearly Empty Red Bull Can?
On September 5 2019, Facebook user Seth Bowman shared the following post (archived here), alongside a claim his Red Bull energy drink was contaminated by a dead mouse. According to Bowman’s claim, he had nearly finished drinking the can of Red B
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Greta Thunberg Make a Face When She Saw Donald Trump?
On Twitter and Reddit, an animated GIF purportedly showing climate activist Greta Thunberg making a face at United States President Donald Trump appeared on September 24 2019 during her appearance at the United Nations’ 2019 climate summit ahead
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Teenager Sexually Stimulate Himself 56 Times Straight Before Dying of a Heart Attack?
In September 2019, a number of people tweeted an apparent news article headlined: “Teen Masturbated 56 Times Straight Before Dying of Heart Attack”: So the limit is 55.https://t.co/6dhCnh6tSj — Nathorix (@Nathorix) September 23, 20
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Billions of Dollars ‘Stolen’ From Rep. Elijah Cummings’ District?
In July 2019, United States President Donald Trump once again recycled an old tactic of responding to criticism from Democratic Party lawmakers by pushing false and debunked claims about them. In this case, Trump singled out Maryland Rep. Elijah Cumm
Truth or Fiction?→ Tekashi 69 ‘Snitched’ and Martha Stewart Didn’t?
On September 22 2019, Facebook’s “Man Page” shared the following meme, declaring that hip-hop artist Tekashi 69 — also called 6ix9ine — is “a snitch” and lifestyle personality Martha Stewart is not: On the left s
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Man’s Co-Workers Inadvertently Pose with a ‘Sleeping’ Corpse?
On September 20 2019, a Facebook page shared the following screenshot of a purported headline: “Man suffers heart attack, dies at work, coworkers gather for group selfie thinking he’d fallen asleep”: In an appended status update,