On August 5 2022, an Imgur user shared a meme about the historical figure “Pretty Boy Floyd,” an outlaw who purportedly destroyed records of mortgage debt in the course of heists: The image combined two memes, one featuring the claim about
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ CPAC ‘Prison’ Exhibit
On August 5 2022 (a day after the Conservative Political Action Conference. or CPAC, began in Dallas, Texas) video of a prison cell booth at the event spread virally on Twitter: Hello I would like to share with you the most astonishing thing I have
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Reporter Wears Grape Costume to Defend Boy Suspended for Banana Suit’
An August 3 2022 post to Reddit (featured on r/all) featured a meme about a reporter wearing a “grape costume” as he interviewed a boy who had been suspended from school for wearing a “banana suit”: Fruit of the Loom,
Truth or Fiction?→ Nick Adams’ ‘Men in Denim Built America Only for the Men in Suits to Destroy It’ Tweet
An August 3 2022 tweet by the account Conservative Self-Owns (@ConSelfOwns) on Twitter featured a screenshot of a purported tweet from internet user Nick Adams — who happened to be wearing a suit in his Twitter avatar: pic.twitter.com/k4uEjV5nx
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Maury Stevens’ Glitter Glue Facebook Post
In August 2022, a Facebook post by the page “Plattsburgh Online Official” recirculated, purportedly depicting the mugshot of a man named Maury Stevens, purportedly arrested for huffing “glitter glue.” Originally posted on July 1
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Rand Paul Opposes Health Care for Veterans Because They Can’t Prove They Got Their Health Problems While Serving’
On August 2 2022, a Reddit account shared a Twitter screenshot to r/WhitePeopleTwitter, which claimed that Sen. Rand Paul ((R-Kentucky) opposed veterans’ health care benefits because “they can’t prove they got their health problems”
Truth or Fiction?→ Kansas Abortion Amendment
On August 1 2022, a Twitter account shared a screenshot of a text message urging Kansas residents to “vote YES” on a proposed amendment relating to abortion: This is as dirty as you can get. The anti-abortion coalition is sending out a la
Truth or Fiction?→ Applebee’s ‘Adult Spouse’ Sign
A viral July 30 2022 tweet showed an image of a purported sign at an Applebee’s restaurant, advising patrons that minors were not permitted in an area without a parent or “adult spouse”: Fascists attacking drag bars, meanwhile Appl
Truth or Fiction?→ Bank of America ‘We Hope Conditions for American Workers Will Get Worse’ Memo
On July 31 2022, posts to Twitter and Reddit referenced signs about a leaked Bank of America memo and a quote — “we hope conditions for American workers get worse”: Posters Everywhere At Bank Of America #BankOfAmericaScandal #Boycot
Truth or Fiction?→ Marjorie Taylor Greene: ‘I Trust [the Government] Even Less Now That I’m in It.’
On July 28 2022, the Twitter account Conservative Self-Owns (@ConSelfOwns) tweeted a screenshot of a quote attributed to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), suggesting that she had said that she distrusted the government less after becoming a part
Truth or Fiction?→ DCCC Spending Half a Million Dollars to Meddle in GOP Primary?
In late July 2022, posts on social media asserted that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) allocated “nearly half a million dollars to air ads boosting Donald Trump-endorsed John Gibbs over Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), who vot
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘NASA Just Dropped New Planet Pics’
A July 23 2022 Facebook user’s post (“NASA just dropped new planet pics ”) spread virally in the next few days, likely inspired by then-popular new images from (and content about) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): In t
Truth or Fiction?→ No, the Loch Ness Monster’s Existence is Not ‘Plausible’
On July 26 2022, several organizations claimed that the existence of the Loch Ness monster had just been deemed “plausible,” an odd story promoted to readers on social media already inured to bizarre developments: The Loch Ness Monster is
Truth or Fiction?→ Vice President Kamala Harris ‘I Am a Woman Sitting at the Table Wearing a Blue Suit’ Controversy
On July 26 2022, the Republican National Committee’s @RNCResearch mockingly tweeted a clip of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris stating her pronouns (“she/her”) and adding that she was a woman wearing a blue suit: "I am Kamala
Truth or Fiction?→ NASA’s Climate Spiral
As heat waves blanketed the much of the planet, particularly parts of the United States and Europe, a July 19 2022 Facebook video post described as “NASA’s climate spiral” spread in viral fashion as people discussed climate change an
Truth or Fiction?→ GOP Lawmaker Attends Gay Son’s Wedding Days After Voting Against LGBTQ Marriage Protections
On July 25 2022, a post to r/politics referenced an unnamed “GOP lawmaker” who apparently attended his gay son’s wedding — three days after voting against same-sex marriage: GOP lawmaker attended gay son’s wedd
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Self Driving Cars Be ‘Trapped’ By a Salt Circle?
In July 2022, a DIYauto.com Facebook post suggested that self-driving cars can be “trapped” in a salt circle, showing a tweet as a citation with no visible date in the screenshot: FUN FACT: self-driving cars can be “trapped” using a
Truth or Fiction?→ Live Monarch Foundation ‘Free Milkweed Seeds’
As news about monarch butterflies appeared the week of July 22 2022, a post to the Facebook group “Addicted to Gardening” claimed that readers could send a self-addressed stamped envelope to a group called the Live Monarch Foundation and r
Truth or Fiction?→ YouTube Targeting ‘Abortion Misinformation’ Post-Dobbs
Nearly a month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24 2022, YouTube indicated that it would identify and remove “abortion misinformation” from its platform in a July 21 2022 statement: YouTube says it will cra
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ronald Reagan Lower the Top Tax Rate from 70 to 28 Percent and Introduce Income Tax on Social Security Benefits to Offset It?
On July 21 2022, a Twitter user shared a meme claiming that former United States President Ronald Reagan lowered the top tax rate from 70 percent — and then introduced a tax on Social Security benefits to offset the cut: Friendly reminder… p
Truth or Fiction?→ NewsGuard Amends Fox News’ Rating from ‘Green’ to ‘Red’
On July 21 2022, anti-disinformation activist Nandini Jammi tweeted that NewsGuard (a subscription-based browser extension for tracking misinformation and disinformation by source) had downranked Fox News from “trustworthy” to “procee
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Store Clerk Passes Out, Gets Robbed’ Seattle Video
On July 18 2022, a video titled “Store clerk passes out. Customers rob store instead of helping him” was shared to Reddit’s r/PublicFreakout: Store clerk passes out. Customers rob store instead of helping him. from Pub
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Here’s to Politicians Using TikTok Properly’
On July 17 2022, a Twitter account shared a short TikTok clip by “kenforflorida,” described as “politicians using TikTok properly”: Here’s to politicians using TikTok properly lmao pic.twitter.com/VY7kOgjgE8 — Sonia B
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Pregnant Women Get Divorced in Missouri?
On July 17 2022, a popular tweet claimed that pregnant women could not obtain divorces in the state of Missouri: HI HELLO IF YOU ARE PREGNANT YOU CAN'T GET DIVORCED IN MISSOURI AND NOW YOU CAN'T GET AN ABORTION IN MISSOURI WHEN WE SAY ABORTI
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Elderly Couple Accidentally Burns House Down During Sex Game Involving WW2 Flamethrower’
On July 17 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of what appeared to be a news article with the shocking headline, “Elderly Couple Accidentally Burns House Down During Sex Game Involving WW2 Flamethrower”: I have questions, just not shur
Truth or Fiction?→ EU Parliament Roe v. Wade Resolution Vote
On July 14 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a tweet with the claim that the European Parliament had then-recently voted to condemn the decision of the United States Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade: The EU Parliament just voted 324-155
Truth or Fiction?→ Astronaut Charlie Duke’s Family Photo on the Moon
On July 14 2022, social media posts suggesting that astronaut Charlie Duke had left a family photo on the moon in 1972 began circulating, including a popular post to Imgur: Text above an image of what appeared to be a family portrait on the surface of
Truth or Fiction?→ Did All House Republicans Vote Down a Measure to Monitor White Supremacists in the Military?
On July 14 2022, a popular post to Reddit’s r/politics suggested that all House Republicans had voted against monitoring white supremacists in the military: House Republicans All Vote Against Neo-Nazi Probe of Military, Police from
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘BMW Charging for Heated Seats’
On July 12 2022, Twitter user Joe Pompliano tweeted about vehicle manufacturer BMW charging for heated seats in a subscription model: This is wild — BMW is now selling a monthly subscription service for heated seats in your car. • Monthly fee: $1
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mammatus Clouds in South Dakota’ Viral Pic
On July 6 2022, news and photographs of green clouds and a green sky in South Dakota began circulating, only to be followed on July 10 2022 by another image of green clouds over an abandoned house in South Dakota: Mammatus clouds over an ab
Truth or Fiction?→ NYC Nuclear Attack Emergency PSA
On July 11 2022, a disturbing public service announcement purportedly created by the New York City Emergency Management Department began circulating on Twitter and TikTok: I'm sure its nothing.. but.. NYC has started running this ad.. can't i
Truth or Fiction?→ Fentanyl on Dollar Bills, and Facebook
On July 11 2022, a Facebook user shared a harrowing story of a purportedly near-fatal incident involving fentanyl on dollar bills. Two images were shared alongside the post. A reporter from WKRN tweeted about the tale using the same images: A pit sto
Truth or Fiction?→ Florida Newspaper Pulls Op-Ed Sympathizing With White Nationalist Group
A Florida newspaper has apologized and pulled an op-ed by a woman married to a member of the far right, white nationalist group calling itself the Proud Boys — which they originally ran without disclosing her ties to that organization. The execu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Any Sitting Senator Who Won’t Comply With a Subpoena Shouldn’t Be a Sitting Senator Anymore’ Lindsey Graham Meme
On July 10 2022, an Imgur account shared a meme with a photo of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham alongside a quote stating that “any sitting senator” who refused to comply with a subpoena “shouldn’t be a sitting senator anymore
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Astronaut Mark Kelly Once Smuggled a Full Gorilla Suit Aboard the International Space Station …’
On July 9 2022, Twitter account @latestinspace shared a video and a popular claim that “Astronaut Mark Kelly once smuggled a full gorilla suit aboard the International Space Station”: Astronaut Mark Kelly once smuggled a full gorilla sui
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Thomas Jefferson Say Americans Should Rewrite the Constitution to Account for Modern Society?
On July 4 2022, a viral tweet claimed that Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father of the United States, said that “we should rewrite the constitution every 20 years so that dead people wouldn’t rule over modern society”: Reminder that Thom
Truth or Fiction?→ Simplisafe Fireworks Video
On July 5 2022, footage often described as the “Simplisafe fireworks video” was shared on several platforms, including Reddit’s r/AbruptChaos (titled “Best finale ever”): Best finale ever from AbruptChaos
Truth or Fiction?→ Richmond Police Retract Disinformation Blaming George Floyd Protesters for Tear-Gassing
Police in Richmond, Virginia have formally retracted a two-year-old disinformation campaign that they used justify attacking demonstrators with tear gas during protests in the summer of 2020. In a thread of tweets late on the afternoon of July 1 2022 &
Truth or Fiction?→ Rosa Parks on Clarence Thomas: ‘His Confirmation to the Highest Court in the Land …’”
On July 4 2022, a pair of tweets purportedly quoting civil rights activist Rosa Parks on Clarence Thomas began circulating as part of ongoing discourse about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade just before the Fourth of July:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘San Diego Lights All the Fireworks at Once’
On July 4 2022, a Reddit account shared an informatively titled post to r/funny, “happy 4th of July folks it’s the 11th anniversary of the infamous San Diego fireworks show where they all went off at once”: happy 4th of Jul