In May 2021, a years-old post about letters purportedly sent by theoretical physicist Albert Einstein to his daughter Lieserl circulated — likely revived by the “On This Day” or “Memories” function on Facebook. The Post Th
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Black Lives Matter Says It Stands with Hamas’ Fox News Stealth Edit
On May 19 2021, Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) tweeted that Fox News had reported a story with the headline, “Black Lives Matter says it stands with Hamas,” which the network later quietly retracted: Fox News published a false headline, attem
Truth or Fiction?→ McDonald’s ‘$18 an Hour’ Hiring Sign
On May 16 2021, Twitter user Derenic Byrd (@DerenicByrd) shared an image of a hiring banner advertising $18 an hour at McDonald’s, but with an ominous asterisk: See what happens when employers have a hard time finding workers…..? They can
Truth or Fiction?→ Lauren Boebert ‘Mugshot’ Tweet
On May 17 2021, Imgur u/wheezer18 shared a Twitter screenshot with a purported mugshot of Rep. Lauren Boebert, in a post that also said, “Shameless repost. Cause fuck her. She’s an asshat”: Although the date was cropped out of the screen
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Colonial Pipeline Was Shut Down Over Fears About Billing Customers’ Rumor
On May 17 2021, a headline screenshot appeared on Imgur with the claim that the May 2021 Colonial Pipeline cyberattack shutdown occurred because its owner wanted to ensure they would still “get paid”: That post included an undated (“
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Safety’ App Citizen Pushes Users to ‘Bring Justice’ Against Wrong Man in L.A. Arson Probe
Authorities in Los Angeles announced on May 17 2021 that they had arrested a suspect in an arson investigation, around 48 hours after a “safety” app had posted a photograph falsely identifying a man as the possible culprit. Fire Chief Ralph
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Fabuloso in Toilet Tank’ TikTok Hack
A March 13 2021 Facebook post featured a TikTok #CleanTok tip involving Fabuloso in a toilet tank: @sheiskd_Tik Tok made me do it ##fabuloso ##fyp ##stimuluscheck ##tax ##covidrelief ##foryou ##foryoupage♬ original sound – allierockk The
Truth or Fiction?→ @KaitMarieox ‘Might Just Start Wearing A Mask Again … Wouldn’t Want To Give Off The Impression That I’m A Vaccinated Democrat’ Tweet
On May 17 2021 screenshots of a purported tweet from Kaitlin Bennett (@KaitMarieox) circulated, in which she purportedly stated that she might start “wearing a mask again” to avoid the impression she was a “vaccinated Democrat”:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Millennials Hold 4.8% of All Wealth, At the Same Age, Gen X Had 9% of Wealth, Boomers Had 21%’
In May 2021, Seattle business owner Dan Price tweeted about Millennials share of wealth (purportedly 4.8 percent) versus that of Generation X (Gen X, 9 percent), and Baby Boomers (21 percent) “at the same age”: Millennials hold 4.8% of al
Truth or Fiction?→ Gas Shortage Hummer Fire
Amid gas shortage rumors on May 13 2021, a post appearing to show the aftermath of a whole series of bad decisions (“Idiot in Hummer filled 5 gas cans expecting shortages. Put them in his car and lit up a cigarette. Hummer destroyed. Swipe to see
Truth or Fiction?→ Jersey Mike’s ‘How Do You Top Your Sub,’ ‘Blocked Blocked Blocked, None of You Are Free From Sin’ Tweets
On May 12 2021, an Imgur post purportedly showed two tweets from all the way back in June 2014 by chain restaurant Jersey Mike’s (@jerseymikes), the first asking “how do you top your sub?”, and the second beginning, “blocked .bl
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Richard Barnett Sentenced to 82 Months in Prison Without Parole?
A Twitter rumor stirred up hope that one of the men who joined the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 was headed for prison, but the claim does not hold up in light of recent reporting on the case. On May 11 2021 the user reposted the now-infam
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Every Year, Americans Spend $153,000,000,000 to Subsidize McDonald’s and Walmart’s Underpaid Workers’
On May 12 2021, a screenshot of a tweet by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich appeared across platforms amid a larger discussion around employee treatment and pay by corporations. His tweet contained the claim that American taxpayers subsidized $153,0
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Three Thousand Year Old Statue Found in Cappadocia’
On April 26 2021, a Facebook user shared an image of a purported “three thousand year old statue found in Cappadocia,” in a post consisting of an image and words — but no additional information. Facebook accounts set to English by def
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Hello, I’m a Dandelion’
A Dutch Facebook user’s cheery gardening post blossomed into a long-form text meme on the platform, as English-speaking users shared a translation celebrating dandelions. Paula Kok – Den Boer first posted “Hello, I am a dandelion̶
Truth or Fiction?→ Gas Shortage ‘Couple in Alabama’ Posts
On May 10 2021, rumors of an imminent gas shortage spread everywhere, followed immediately by a photograph purportedly showing a couple “stocking up” on gas to get ahead of the situation. The image was absolutely everywhere, with at least t
Truth or Fiction?→ CTV Calgary Chris Watts Stock Image
On May 5 2021, posts on Facebook and Twitter suggested that CTV Calgary had featured an image of Chris Watts and the Watts family in a segment about family finances; Chris Watts was convicted of murdering his wife and children in 2018: That Facebook p
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There Is No Such Thing as a Blue State, Only Blue Cities’ Tweet
In early May 2021, a tweet showing a map of the United States swathed in mostly red with a scattering of blue appeared, and it quickly went viral: The text that accompanied the image, from an account going by @TABYTCHI, said: There is no such thing a
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Beauty Therapist Cuts Off Lashes After Client’s Card is Declined’ Story Goes Viral
On May 9 2021, UK tabloid The Sun (along with its Scottish counterpart) published an item with the shocking headline, “Beauty therapist CUTS OFF woman’s eyelashes after her card payment fails”: The Rumor and The Sun Screenshots like the
Truth or Fiction?→ Is There a Gas Shortage in 2021?
In May 2021, rumors of a gas shortage throughout the United States — either ongoing or imminent — suddenly appeared, spreading both on social media and by word of mouth: This gas shortage isn’t a big deal!! Just hackers from another co
Truth or Fiction?→ Piute Reservoir ‘Fake Town in Utah … Like Truman Show Fake’
On May 3 2021, one of several identical posts were shared to Imgur about an anonymous user’s discovery of a “fake town” in Utah; the first iteration (from u/AlexeyMalykhin) was titled “Spooky Pasta”: Spooky pasta That pa
Truth or Fiction?→ A Labor Shortage in 2021? Viral ‘Signs’ Are Not Employment Data
As the world began to emerge from more than a year of pandemic-related uncertainty in May 2021, an avalanche of photographs showing signs about businesses being “short staffed” because “no one wants to work” on social media p
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Traffic Reporter Meltdown on Live Television’
On May 5 2021, video of purported traffic reporter Anavid Reyes “having a meltdown” on live television appeared on Reddit’s r/funny: This traffic reporter has a meltdown and show how ridiculous his job really is. from
Truth or Fiction?→ Signal Says Facebook Banned ‘Transparent’ Ads, Facebook Issues Denial
On May 4 2021, Signal app creator Moxie Marlinspike (Matthew Rosenfeld) tweeted about a series of Facebook ads purportedly banned by the platform — for reasons apparent upon seeing examples of the advertisements: Signal tried to use Instagram a
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dollar General Workers Quit and Call for a General Strike?
A call to action by a trio of former Dollar General employees in Maine went viral after they announced their resignations on Twitter. Berndt Erikson’s first posted aa photograph declaring the group’s intent on May 3 2021. “Got real ti
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Senegal Pink Lake’
An April 29 2021 tweet (reading only “Senegal pink lake”) was popular on and off Twitter, for obvious reasons: Senegal pink lake pic.twitter.com/yfyyezdUF1 — Andonia (@andohood) April 29, 2021 In addition to the three-word caption,
Truth or Fiction?→ Agriculture Workers Are Killed on the Job at a Higher Rate Than Cops,’ ‘They Make about a Third as Much Money’
In April 2021, a popular tweet contained the claim that agricultural workers were likelier to die on the job than law enforcement officers, adding that farm labor also generally pays far less: Reminder that agriculture workers are killed on the job
Truth or Fiction?→ Sigmund Freud: ‘ …I Ascribe to the Cocaine’ Quote
In a May 2021 Imgur post (titled “Freudian Marching Powder”), a screenshot of a tweet purportedly quoted Sigmund Freud as saying of a lecture that he “ascribed to the cocaine” his ability to enrapture the audience: Undated and
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This Comic Was Created Around 1930’
Just as disinformation against vaccinations resurfaced yet again in 2021, so too did a cartoon warning readers about the dangers it brings. The oddly topical cartoon shows four men — identified as an “anti-vaccinationist,” a “fa
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Snow White ‘Cancelled’?
On May 3 2021, social media rumors that Snow White was “cancelled” by “woke mobs” began circulating, pushed along by the usual disinformation purveyors: Disneyland Revamps Snow White Ride, Adds Prince Waking Her With A Kiss. F
Truth or Fiction?→ Navajo Nation Sends PPE to India?
On May 2 2021, a Reddit user shared an undated screenshot to r/MadeMeSmile, showing a tweet describing how the Navajo Nation donated personal protective equipment, or PPE, to India; the image was shared to Imgur a few hours later: Navajo Nat
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Japanese Police Shoot Paintballs at Fleeing Vehicles’ Meme
On April 17 2021, a Facebook page shared the following meme, which asserted that law enforcement in Japan uses paintballs as a means of marking vehicles involved in crime: Underneath a photograph of a vehicle covered with splotches of orange paint, te
Truth or Fiction?→ Michael Collins: ‘If You Had Any Balls …’
Memorials, reminiscing, and memes following the death of astronaut Michael Collins in April 2021. We saw one popular meme pop up again and again, claiming that when Neil Armstrong was pondering what he might say as he stepped onto the surface of the
Truth or Fiction?→ What is an ‘Apology Dinner’?
On April 29 2021, “Apology Dinner” became a Twitter trending topic — sufficiently popular to warrant a Twitter blurb explaining the phrase: Many people are confused about the concept of an apology dinner after a woman shared in a vir
Truth or Fiction?→ Apollo 11 Customs Form
On April 29 2021 (a day after the passing of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins was reported), historian Michael Beschloss tweeted an interesting image — specifically, a purported United States Customs declaration form filed after the crew of th
Truth or Fiction?→ Anti-Vaccine Disinformation Still Going Strong on Social Media: Report
Just twelve accounts are responsible for fully two-thirds of online disinformation about vaccines — but social media platforms still aren’t doing much about them. In a follow-up to a report tracking a majority of disinformation about vaccin
Truth or Fiction?→ Did RuPaul Say Evidence of the Armenian Genocide ‘Just Isn’t There’?
A brand-new Twitter account manufactured cheap online clout in April 2021 by posting a false “report” painting television host RuPaul as a political commentator. The account, “Breaking Celebrity News,” generated angry responses
Truth or Fiction?→ Native American Journalists Call On Cohorts to ‘Withdraw Support from CNN’ after Pundit’s Racist Comments
The Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) called on fellow industry advocacy groups to push back against CNN in response to inaccurate and racist comments by one of the news network’s pundits. The group made the request in the wake of pa
Truth or Fiction?→ Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole Jumped Into the Thames to Rescue a London Bridge Jumper
On April 26 2021, the UK-based Facebook page “North East News desk” shared a post about a London man named Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, who died while rescuing a woman attempting suicide. In addition to two photographs of Olubunmi-Adewole,
Truth or Fiction?→ Academy Awards ‘Savage’ Response to Trump’s Oscars Statement
On April 28 2021, an Imgur post (“The Academy is savage”) purportedly showed a statement in response to former United States President Donald Trump attributed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Contents of the Screenshot