In June 2019, social media posts popped up claiming that that it costs taxpayers $750 (or $775) per child per day to house immigrant children in “tent cities” and other detention facilities. A June 22 2019 post on the Facebook page “
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ Does an Photograph Show Rosaries Confiscated from Border Detainees?
In June 2018, a Facebook user shared a post (archived here) featuring a screenshot of a tweet about rosary beads purportedly confiscated from migrants taken into custody by border agents. That post was shared more than 89,000 times in a year. The twe
Truth or Fiction?→ Did U.S. President Barack Obama Have a Separation Policy at the Border?
In late June 2019, United States President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that his administration did not have a family separation policy at the border — going further to attribute the controversial actions to his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Don Rickles Included in ‘Toy Story 4’ Thanks to Archival Material?
On June 23 2019, the Facebook page “Just Disney” shared a meme which claimed that the late Don Rickles’ Mr. Potato Head character appeared in the feature film Toy Story 4 — despite his death in April 2017: Beneath a sti
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Donald Trump Send Six Tweets Warning President Barack Obama Would Attack Iran as a Diversion?
As tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in June 2019, a number of memes circulated that purportedly depicted tweets sent by Donald Trump between 2011 and 2013 — predicting that former United States President Barack Obama would fabri
Truth or Fiction?→ Have Arrest Warrants Been Issued for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama?
Despite fears of “deepfake” videos and other high-tech ways disinformation could potentially proliferate in the very near future, the stories that still get the most traction are often decidedly low effort. Take, for example, the case of a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Cook and Janitor of a Bankrupt Assisted Living Home Stay to Care for Abandoned Residents?
On June 16 2019, the Facebook page “Weird Facts” shared the following meme (archived here), about a cook and a janitor who purportedly refused to abandon the residents of a bankrupted care home: Atop an image of two unidentified men, th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Malia Obama Cash a $1.2 Million Check?
A headline about former First Daughter Malia Obama (archived here) depositing a suspiciously large check got a lot of traction on social media in June 2019: However, this story is suspect for two reasons. First, it contains little beyond a provocati
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Why I’m Voting for Donald Trump in 2020’ Twitter Meme
On June 18 2019, Twitter user @johncatsjr shared the following tweet (“why I’m voting for Donald Trump in 2020”), a missive picked up by innumerable other users — along with an original misspelling: Why I’m voting for Donald Tru
Truth or Fiction?→ The Parable of the Stolen Cookies
If you use Facebook, chances are you’ve stumbled upon the videos of Jay Shetty — perhaps the one that is very vaguely titled “Before You Judge Anyone, Watch This,” which is a parable about airport cookie theft: The same story wa
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a New ‘Gay Street’ Sign Near Stonewall Include ‘Pedosexual’ in Pride?
In June 2019 — Pride Month in the United States — the following image circulated on social media, suggesting that one of the sexual orientations added to New York City’s “Gay Street” sign was “pedosexual”: The image
Truth or Fiction?→ Razor Blades on Slides: Urban Legend or Legitimate Risk?
A meme shared by the page “Explore Talent” (archived here) including several images alongside a warning about razor blades purportedly affixed to playground equipment such as slides has been circulating on social media for years: The te
Truth or Fiction?→ Should You Avoid Puffy Bags of Salad or Lettuce in Favor of Flat Ones?
On June 13 2019, the Facebook page “Crafty Morning” shared the following meme (archived here), featuring an image of salad and lettuce in bags at a supermarket along with purported tips for selecting the freshest produce: Above an imag
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Word ‘Homosexual’ Only Added to Leviticus 18:22 in 1983?
On June 11 2019 Twitter user @n_robe shared the following tweet, claiming that the word “homosexual” was only added to the Bible in 1983 as a pretext for codifying anti-gay sentiments in Christianity: happy pride month everyone. the word
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Gyro Drop’ Ride Video
On June 13 2019, @Complex tweeted the following footage, purportedly showing a ride called “Gyro Drop” and its “swing” feature: WHO WOULD INVENT A RIDE LIKE THIS??? pic.twitter.com/moRN6N4UbV — Complex (@Complex) June 13
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Supreme Court Rule 5-4 Against Swearing in on the Qur’an?
On June 11 2019, a Facebook user shared the following text-based status update (archived here), claiming the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against the use of the Qur’an for swearing oaths: Right off the bat, the format of the post was a scourge to fa
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Shaking Your Phone Report Posts and Land Your Friends in Facebook Jail?
In June 2019, a number of Facebook posts popped up warning mobile users of a purported new mobile feature in which shaking a phone with the social media platform’s mobile app open could lead to automatic reporting of posts (and, readers surmised
Truth or Fiction?→ Does an X-Ray Show Hundreds of Undigested Boba Pearls in a Young Chinese Patient?
In June 2019, a number of websites and news outlets reported that a young girl in China was treated for symptoms related to the discovery of “hundreds” of undigested boba pearls in her digestive tract via x-ray. Notably, headlines for the
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Steinway and Sons Airdrop Pianos During World War II?
In June 2019, a Facebook page shared the following image (archived here) and story about Steinway & Sons pianos dropped into areas of combat during World War II: A status update said of the image: During World War II, Steinway & Sons airdro
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Slaves Braid Routes to Freedom Into Hairstyles?
In February 2019, a Facebook user shared a post (archived here) that showed patterns for hairstyles with a claim that slaves used braid patterns to plot out routes to freedom: What if I told you all, during slavery, our ancestors braided escape route
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Keanu Reeves Tweet ‘Be Kind to Animals or I’ll Kill You’?
In June 2019 (not long after the feature film John Wick 3 was released), a purported tweet attributed to Keanu Reeves began circulating on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and meme sites. Screenshots of what looked like a verified @KeanuReeves account twee
Truth or Fiction?→ Viral Facebook Video of Unknown Creature on Home Security Footage
On June 6 2019, a Facebook user shared the following clip (archived here), asking readers to identify what appeared to be an unusual creature captured on home security footage: In comments, the original uploader responds to a question about whethe
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Julia Roberts Say Women Are Not Rehabilitation Centers for Badly Raised Men?
On June 7 2019, the Facebook page “Sarcastic Mama” shared the above quote meme (archived here), featuring a photograph of Julia Roberts superimposed with a quote about women not being “rehabilitation centers for badly raised men.
Truth or Fiction?→ The Chernobyl ‘Bridge of Death’
In May 2019, the release of HBO’s show Chernobyl caused a spike of interest in all aspects of the nuclear disaster — including the revival of some long-forgotten rumors. A postscript relating to a scene in Pripyat brought back one suck story
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Neither the Fanatics Nor the Faint-Hearted Are Needed’
In April 2019, a Facebook user shared the following meme (archived here), which purportedly provided several lines from an undelivered speech scheduled for U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Above an excerpted portion of text, the me
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Dutch Teenager Euthanized Because of Rape Trauma?
In early June 2019, a number of English-speaking news organizations reported that a 17-year-old Dutch girl named Noa Pothove had been “euthanized” at her request, following years of unsuccessful treatment due to the trauma of rape and sexu
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Media Refuse to Cover Massive Crowds in England Chanting ‘We Love Trump’?
On June 4 2019, Facebook user James Johnson shared a video (archived here) purportedly showing large crowds of supporters shouting “we love Trump.” He then claimed that news outlets in the United Kingdom and United States deliberately refu
Truth or Fiction?→ Donald Trump’s British Fans?
In June 2019, as United States President Donald Trump visited Britain to meet with the royal family and elected officials, a photograph purportedly of his English fans appeared on social media and made the usual rounds. One popular variation (archived
Truth or Fiction?→ Are the Streets of Los Angeles Littered with Syringes?
On June 1 2019, the Facebook page “All Eyes On Me: Los Angeles” shared the following image (archived here) of seemingly discarded hypodermic needles in the city: A very brief description did not provide much context for the image, simpl
Truth or Fiction?→ Did It Snow in Québec in June 2019?
On June 2 2019, a Facebook user shared the following image (archived here), purportedly showing a thick covering of snow that had fallen on that date in Québec. A reverse image search did not indicate that the user’s image of snow in Québec in
Truth or Fiction?→ Does an Image Show Dogs Euthanized in a Single Day in an Average American Shelter?
On June 2 2019, the Facebook page “Pawz” shared the following post (archived here), tugging on readers’ heartstrings by claiming that the photograph represented routine daily euthanizations in an average shelter: A caption implied
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Rally vs. Live Aid
In May 2019, a suspicious looking meme began to make the usual rounds on social media. It shows a huge crowd of people packing a venue raptly gazing at a stage bearing “Trump 2020” signs on either side, with a third Trump banner over the a
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the MTA Posting Pride Signs on the NYC Subway?
In June 2019, social media users shared images of what appeared to be official New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority subway signage marking Pride month: Happy Pride Month from the NYC MTA. pic.twitter.com/MBF6twBAXI — bigkidal (@
Truth or Fiction?→ Wrist Freckle Myth
The hunt for an “identical wrist freckle” among women on social media went viral in May 2019 following a widely-shared tweet: ladies….. u got a freckle on the middle of ur wrist or is this a myth lmao pic.twitter.com/VpwkkeWKTj &mda
Truth or Fiction?→ Can You Use Cornmeal to Keep Weed Seeds from Germinating?
In February 2019, the Facebook page “Country n garden” shared a post (archived here) borrowed from another source, which claimed that cornmeal is an effective substance in home gardens to prevent the spread of weeds: Above an image of
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Eradicated Diseases Making a Comeback Because of Immigrants and Refugees?
In April 2019, the Facebook page “Donald Plants” shared the following meme (archived here), which claimed that six “eradicated diseases” are in the process of “making a comeback” thanks to the presence of refugees
Truth or Fiction?→ Infant Mortality Rates vs. Abortion Bans Meme
On May 30 2019 the Facebook page “Occupy Democrats” shared the following meme (archived here), purportedly contrasting rates of infant mortality in states which had recently passed or had pending restrictions on abortion: In a column on
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the USS John McCain Hidden From Sight for President Donald Trump’s Japan Visit?
On May 29 2019, a claim published by the Wall Street Journal was quickly picked up by other news organizations, all relating a story about President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan and his purported disdain for the USS John McCain: The White Hou
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the ‘New Congresswoman from Michigan’ Describing ‘What the Enemies of America’ Plan to Do?
On May 26 2019, rock musician turned conservative commentator Ted Nugent shared the following video and caption to his Facebook page: Listen very closely to the new congresswoman from Michigan what the enemies of America believe especially on Memorial
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Say ‘We Can Land on the Sun, We Just Have to Go at Night?’
On January 31 2019, a Facebook user shared the following meme (archived here), claiming that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had once said that it was possible to “land on the sun” and “we just have to go at night”: Not only d