A newly-passed ordinance in Tucson, Arizona came under more intense scrutiny online in early June 2020 amid protests against police brutality and law enforcement’s lack of accountability throughout the United States. As KOLD-TV reported, Ordina
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ BabyNames.com Intermittently Crashes After Paying Tribute to Victims of Police Violence
On June 8 2020, a number of social media posts directed users to visit the website BabyNames.com (a source for baby naming ideas), often without preview — and the popularity of the messages meant a lot of people were not immediately aware of why
Truth or Fiction?→ Tucker Carlson’s ‘What Does Racism Look Like?’ Chyron
On June 5 2020, a viral tweet circulated, featuring Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson, a chyron reading “what does racism look like?,” and commentary about becoming your own meme: That moment when you meme yourself. pic.twitter.com/b6sr4kD
Truth or Fiction?→ The Washington Monument Struck by Lightning and the Tower Card
During ongoing protests against police brutality and a lunar eclipse on June 5 2020, numerous posts on Facebook asserted that the Washington Monument had been struck by lightning — many of those claims appearing alongside an image of the “
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is the 54th Regiment’ Memorial Defaced ‘This Week’ Claim
In early June 2020, the following image circulated with the claim that either “Black Lives Matter” or “Antifa” had defaced the 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial: At the top of the image was a graffitied monument difficult
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Long Island News Outlet Call George Floyd Graffiti ‘Anti-Government’?
A television station in Long Island, New York used some of George Floyd’s last words to attract social media users to a short story about “anti-government graffiti.” News 12 Long Island’s Twitter post on June 7 2020 did not men
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Mayor of Buffalo Call 75-year-old Martin Gugino ‘an Agitator’?
Amid criticism of his local police department for its treatment of 75-year-old Martin Gugino that was captured on video and spread online, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown further inflamed the situation by attempting to smear the victim by implying he deserv
Truth or Fiction?→ Was an Oregon Police Officer Caught Telling an Armed Man How to Avoid Curfew?
Police in Salem, Oregon blamed officer ignorance for a conversation captured on video on June 1, 2020. The video, first aired live by Joe Smothers on his Facebook account on June 1, 2020, chronicles a local protest against extrajudicial killing as wel
Truth or Fiction?→ Are ICE Detention Centers ‘Gassing Immigrants’ with a Chemical Disinfectant?
By June 4 2020, protests over the death of George Floyd had spread to every part of the United States and all around the world; because of the social upheaval, a claim that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was “gassing immigrants” in
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘My Brothers’ Ex Stealing our Netflix for the Past Two Months,’ Disguising Her Account as ‘Settings.’ ‘Respect.’
In early June 2020, an amusing tweet circulated in screenshots on social media, purportedly from a Netflix user whose family discovered his brother’s ex had been “stealing” access to their service via a clever subterfuge — the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Whoever Bought the Domain LouisvilleMetroPolice.com is a Hero’
On June 1 2020, a Facebook user shared the post below, directing fellow users to the domain LouisvilleMetroPolice.com and lauding its creator as a hero: The post was shared more than 10,000 times in under four days, with most commenters tag
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Police Tell Newspapers That $2.4M of Merchandise Was Looted from a SoHo Rolex Store — When Rolex Said it Wasn’t?
Amid widespread protests and social unrest throughout the United States, a June 3 2020 Facebook post highlighted a discrepancy in the New York Post‘s coverage — specifically, a headline about a purported “looting” of $2.4 mill
Truth or Fiction?→ Did LEGO Stop Marketing Police Figurines, White House Sets in Response to George Floyd Protests?
On June 3 2020, a Facebook post circulated with a viral claim that children’s toy manufacturer LEGO had ceased marketing police figurines and a White House building set due to the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests: The per
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Someone Throw a ‘Gas Bomb’ Into a Horse Trailer During a Black Lives Matter Protest?
A Michigan woman’s effort to spread disinformation on Facebook about a Black Lives Matter protest several states away has been shared more than 90,000 times on the platform — despite several news sources refuting her claim. Kaitlyn White&#
Truth or Fiction?→ Are New York City Police Officers Covering Badge Numbers with Black Bands During George Floyd Protests?
As protests over the death of George Floyd (and many other deaths of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement) spread to all fifty states, a Facebook post claiming that the New York Police Department (NYPD) officers had obscured their badge nu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A Post from Many Other Truckers’ on Protests Blocking Roads
On May 31 2020, an open letter was shared by the Facebook page “Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children” (archived here), purportedly speaking for all or most American truckers in the midst of ongoing protests in all fifty states: W
Truth or Fiction?→ #BlackLivesMatter and the Parable of the “100 Sheep”
On May 31 2020, a Facebook analogy about Jesus and a flock of 100 sheep (where one was lost and 99 were safe) began circulating: That poster, Jared Price, credited Twitter user Manny Arteaga for the analogy. Arteaga shared a similar post earlier on
Truth or Fiction?→ Nickelodeon Goes Off the Air for Eight Minutes and 46 Seconds to Protest Death of George Floyd
On June 1 2020, Facebook posts about a purportedly strong message of support for Black Lives Matter on children’s television network Nickelodeon began circulating, including posts about the channel going off the air for eight minutes and 46 seco
Truth or Fiction?→ Hitler Holding a Bible, Trump Holding a Bible
After United States President Donald Trump controversially posed for photographs at a Washington, DC church while he held up a Bible, the following photograph of Trump juxtaposed with Adolf Hitler in a purportedly similar pose appeared and quickly wen
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘George Floyd Challenge’ Image Spreads Virally, Provenance Unknown
On May 31 2020, a Facebook screenshot of an Instagram post circulated virally, purportedly depicting two white teenagers grinning as they engaged in what was labeled a “George Floyd challenge” — a tasteless recreation of the circum
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dallas Police Tweet About ‘Technical Difficulties’ After Kpop Stans ‘Spammed’ Their ‘Snitch App’?
On May 31 2020, the following tweet offered “a story in 4 acts” — Dallas Police requesting recordings of purported “illegal activity” during protests over the death of George Floyd, two tweets from fans of the popular mus
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Dallas Business Owner Killed During a Protest Against Police Brutality?
Right-wing Twitter accounts distorted footage of an attack on a would-be vigilante during a demonstration against police extrajudicial killings in Dallas on May 30 2020. One clip disseminated online pushed the claim that the man — later identifi
Truth or Fiction?→ Are the #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd Hashtags Banned on TikTok?
Actress Rachel Zegler and other users criticized the video app TikTok in May 2020, after some reported that the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd had been wiped from search results on the platform. As the entertainment site AceShowbiz.com fi
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Amish People Protest the Death of George Floyd in Minneapolis?
On May 30 2020, the word “Amish” trended on Twitter, due to circulating social media posts claiming Amish people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis: The Amish came out yesterday in Minneapolis to join the George
Truth or Fiction?→ Did George Floyd’s Autopsy Reveal ‘Potential Intoxicants’?
Following the arrest of Derek Chauvin in connection with the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the release of the criminal complaint against the former Minneapolis police officer reignited criticism against local authorities. One part
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You as a White Person Would Be Happy to Receive the Same Treatment That Our Black Citizens Do in This Society, Please Stand!’
A May 15 2020 Facebook post by user Joya Foster Follette (captioned simply “A Repost”) circulated virally after the killing of George Floyd, alongside the following image of text describing white indifference to racism: The text in the i
Truth or Fiction?→ Twitter Adds ‘Glorifying Violence’ Label to Trump’s ‘Looting’ and ‘Shooting’ Tweet; White House Blames Fact Checkers
In the early morning hours of May 29 2020, President Trump published two tweets about unrest in Minneapolis over the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd; Twitter later appended a label to the second over its glorification of violence: I can’t st
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Saint Paul Police Officer Caught Vandalizing Property at a George Floyd Protest?
Amid the social unrest permeating the Minnesota Twin Cities area following the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd in May 2020, Twitter users claimed to have identified a man spotted vandalizing a local auto parts store as a local police officer
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Who is Derek M. Chauvin?’
The extrajudicial killing of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 led to increased scrutiny of Officer Derek Chauvin, who was caught on video pinning his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes prior to Floyd’s death. Aroun
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Justice Will Not Be Served’ Ben Franklin Quote
After the May 25 2020 officer-involved killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, many social media users shared a quote attributed to Ben Franklin: “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are”:
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Colorado Revise its COVID-19 Death Count from 1150 to 878 — and ‘Admit’ They Were Counting Deaths from Other Causes?
A May 16 2020 Facebook post claiming that Colorado had revised its COVID-19 death count from 1150 to 878 and “ADMITTED” that the state was including deaths from other causes in its count to make the virus seem more lethal took off across
Truth or Fiction?→ Obamagate, Explained
Chances are you saw at least a passing reference to “Obamagate” in May 2020, and chances are similar you (like many) struggled to understand what “Obamagate” might actually be. We’ll do our best to break it down. WhatR
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Derek Chauvin Photographed Alongside Donald Trump at a Campaign Rally?
In the aftermath of the extrajudicial killing of 46-year-old George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, social media users spread a photograph online that they claimed showed one of the officers alongside United States President Donald
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden’s Website Mention ‘Letting Palestinians Off the Hook for Their Choices’?
On May 20 2020, Twitter user Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) tweeted an apparent screenshot from Joe Biden’s campaign website, with one portion (“while letting Palestinians off the hook for their choices”) highlighted: I really don't k
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Amy Cooper Make Campaign Donations to Obama, Buttigieg, and John Kerry?
Amid the fallout of Amy Cooper’s firing for her racist harassment of Christian Cooper in May 2020, some social media users began trying to parse her political leanings as an evidence-free opinion piece in a British publication added fuel to the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Major Events in USA History that Cause Major Death Tolls’ COVID-19 Chart
In late May 2020, the following chart (attributed to a user named Mario Hardy) began circulating on Facebook, awkwardly titled “Major Events in USA History that Cause Major Death Tolls and 2019 Data”: “Major Events in USA History th
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘McDonald’s Crucifixion’ Image Repurposed as Purportedly ‘Protesting Stay at Home Orders’
In late May 2020, a photograph of three purported protesters of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders circulated which purported to show three men “crucified” outside a McDonald’s. A since-deleted Facebook post originally stated: I have no
Truth or Fiction?→ Social Media Users Reveal White Woman Calling Police on Black Man Filming Her
A white woman caught on video threatening to use a man’s ethnicity against him by calling New York City police to report “an African-American man threatening my life” has offered a public apology after her identity was swiftly expose
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a California Woman Caught Posting a Racist Letter on Neighbors’ Doors?
On May 24 2020, police in San Leandro, California arrested — and then released — a woman revealed on social media as the person behind a string of racist letters harassing Asian-American residents. According to authorities, 52-year-old Nan
Truth or Fiction?→ Do You Need to Disable COVID-19 Contact Tracing on Your Phone?
In mid-May 2020, the following status update screenshot circulated on Facebook, urging people with iPhones (and possibly Android devices) to “turn off … exposure COVID notifications” via a series of directions in settings: It’