On September 14 2019, the Facebook page “ChairmanSizer” shared the following meme (archived here), claiming that actor and comedian Tim Allen was quoted as claiming that maintaining the official Affordable Care Act’s website costs mo
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘2045 Time Traveler Took This Video in the Future…’
On August 30 2019 the Facebook page “Mysterious Society” shared the following video, “Time Traveler Took This Video in the Year 2045”: In a rambling six-minute clip, a seemingly distressed man repeatedly impresses upon viewe
Truth or Fiction?→ The Story of Gary Box on 9/11
On September 13 2019 a Reddit user shared the following post (“[His] Name is Gary Box”) to r/HumansBeingBros: Is name was Gary Box from HumansBeingBros Above a photograph of a firefighter in a tunnel, an apparent s
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Emmett Till’s Sign Vandalized Again, 35 Days After it Was Replaced?
In September 2019, a BlackNewsAlerts.com article headlined, “Emmett Till’s Memorial Sign Shot Up Again 35 Days After Being Replaced” circulated on Facebook: After 35 days of being replaced for vandalism, the memorial sign of Emmett Till
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Man Decide to Use Drawings of ‘Cat Heads’ as His Official Signature?
On September 7 2019, Facebook user Rich Preston shared a series of screenshots telling the firsthand story of a man who purportedly used little cat head drawings as his license signature because he thought it would be funny, but regretted the decision
Truth or Fiction?→ Cornel Nistorescu 9/11 ‘Ode to America’ Editorial
On September 11 2019 a Facebook user shared an editorial credited to Romanian newspaper columnist Cornel Nistorescu. Alongside a photograph showing black smoke billowing out of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, the post was prefaced with comm
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ICE Get Caught Shopping for ‘Urban Warfare’ Training Facilities?
A Newsweek story published on September 11, 2019 revived fears about the possible intentions of the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after it showed that the agency failed to redact documents related to “urban warfa
Truth or Fiction?→ Did North Carolina’s GOP Trick Democrats into Attending a 9/11 Memorial, Then Pass an Unpopular Healthcare Bill?
On September 11 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), which claimed in a three-part commentary that North Carolina Republicans used the anniversary of 9/11 to “trick” Democrats into missing a last-minute vote: &
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Texas Man Arrested for Dressing as an ‘Alien’ and Abducting People?
One of the more insidious factors in the spread of online disinformation has been the advent of “satirical” blogs that spread or republish each other’s content, among them World News Daily Report. As Buzzfeed reported, the blog was r
Truth or Fiction?→ Starbucks 20-Ounce Venti vs. 12-Ounce Grande Video Experiment
On August 11 2019 the Facebook page Mercadotecnia Total shared the following video (translated title: “Effective Marketing: Venti vs Large @ Starbucks”): That iteration racked up more than five million views in just one month, and a co
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a ‘Nail Stripe’ a Sign of Melanoma?
A Washington state’s barber college story about a warning for a client is true — but readers should be aware that it is a republishing of an account first published in 2017. The college’s Facebook post, which has been shared more than 1
Truth or Fiction?→ Last Sunset 9/10/2001 Photograph
An image submitted to Reddit’s r/pics and r/interestingasfuck on September 10 2019 titled “Last sunset 9/10/2001” appeared without additional text or information, rapidly climbing to the top of the site’s r/all page on the eig
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Canadian Man ‘Euthanized’ After Not Receiving Enough Home Care Funding?
A 41-year-old Canadian man’s choice to undergo assisted suicide in August 2019 was used as blog fodder by an anti-abortion group based out of England. Sean Tagert first drew media coverage in September 2018, when he spoke to the Canadian Broadca
Truth or Fiction?→ United States Air Traffic on September 11, 2001
In September 2019, approaching the eighteenth anniversary of September 11th 2011, a Reddit user shared the following GIF purportedly depicting United States air traffic during and after the attacks to r/DamnThatsInteresting: U.S. Air Traffi
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This the Only Existing Footage Of the First Plane Hitting the World Trade Center?
As the anniversary of September 11 2001 approached in 2019, a video called “The Only Existing Footage Of 1st Plane Hitting WTC” circulated on social media in remembrance of a brief but pivotal moment in American history — but it’s
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Trump Have a 94 Percent Approval Rating with Republicans?
On September 9 2019, President Donald Trump used his Twitter account to push a claim of record popularity that has already been debunked by several news organizations. For the fourth time in three months, Trump boasted that he had a “94 percent&
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Pastor Die After 30 Days of Fasting to Beat Jesus Christ’s Record?
In September 2019, an article with the headline “Pastor Dies After 30 Days of Fasting To Beat Jesus Record” appeared in several Facebook groups and users’ feeds: A South African pastor, Alfred Ndlovu has died of malnutrition after go
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the United States the 118th Safest Country in the World — Down From 65th in 2018?
A September 3 2019 tweet (shared to Facebook the following day) contained the alarming claim that the United States was ranked the 118th safest country in the world in 2019, dropping from the 65th spot in 2018: The United States is the 118th safest
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Detective Who Led Jeffrey Epstein Investigation Die after a ‘Brief Illness’ At 50 in September 2019?
In early September 2019, a large number of Facebook users shared an article (archived here), compellingly titled “Detective Who Led Epstein Investigation Died After ‘Brief Illness’ At 50.” Based on the visible shares to Facebo
Truth or Fiction?→ Palindrome Week, September 2019
On September 9 2019 and subsequently, a “palindrome week” meme circulated on Twitter: Above 10 dates ranging from September 10 to 19 2019, text read: PALINDROME WEEK Each date reads the same backwards and forwards for the next 10 days.
Truth or Fiction?→ United States Officials Blame ‘Confusion’ After Viral Video of Hurricane Evacuees Turned Away
As video spread of more than a hundred Hurricane Dorian evacuees from the Bahamas being told they could not escape the damage by coming to the United States on September 9, 2019 if they did not have a visa, immigration officials blamed a local ferry c
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Swedish Scientist Propose Cannibalism to Fight Climate Change?
On September 7 2019, United States President Donald Trump retweeted a Breitbart.com post that suggested a Swedish scientist had proposed that cannibalism was a viable solution to fight climate change: Swedish behavioral scientist Magnus Söderlund h
Truth or Fiction?→ Jim Carrey Depression Meme: ‘I Believe Depression is Legitimate. But…’
A July 5 2019 Instagram post purportedly quoting actor Jim Carrey on depression appeared on Facebook in screenshot form. The original featured an image of the actor and attributed the following quote to him: View this post on Instagram
Truth or Fiction?→ 911 Dispatcher Donna Reneau/Debra Stevens Drowning Incident
On September 1 2019, the following meme appeared in the Facebook group “LIVE PD FANS NO BOUNDARIES” (archived here), purportedly detailing an exchange between the woman shown in the photograph (911 dispatcher Donna Reneau) and a victim of
Truth or Fiction?→ Weather Agency Contradicts Itself Over Trump’s Hurricane ‘Forecast’
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) disavowed its own agency’s findings in a brief statement on September 6 2019, siding with United States President Donald Trump amid allegations that the president may have illegally alte
Truth or Fiction?→ Does the Australian ‘Gympie-Gympie’ Drive People to Suicide?
While the damage caused by the plant species Dendrocnide moroides has been recounted in various outlets, one graphic spreading in August 2019 adds apocryphal claims to the stories around it. The graphic shows a photograph of the plant, commonly known
Truth or Fiction?→ Are School Bus Stops Now More Dangerous Because of an All-Time High in Human Trafficking?
A back-to-school themed Facebook warning shared on September 5 2019 (archived here) declared that all school-age children must avoid all school bus stops because of an increased threat of human trafficking: Against a pastel background, black text d
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Reykjavik Ensure That Pride Flags Were Prominently Flown to Greet Mike Pence?
On September 4 2019, Twitter user @Heklina shared the following tweet showing a number of gay flags and with commentary about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Iceland: Here’s a great example of why I’m proud to be from Iceland
Truth or Fiction?→ Dear ‘Ban Gun’ Teenagers, 11 Teens Die a Day from Texting and Driving
Facebook status memes about guns in general consistently appear in the now nearly constant wake of mass shootings, but a February 2018 iteration (archived here) aimed at “‘ban gun’ teenagers” puts forth an insincere argument
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Japanese Students Exempt from Taking Exams Until the Fourth Grade?
Some social media users and blogs looking to criticize the American educational system have seized on citing its Japanese counterpart as an aspirational example. But at least one widely-circulated example hinges on a lack of context. The claim has bee
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘10,874 People Killed by Drunk Drivers in 2017, 403 by Rifles but Walmart Stops Selling Rifles’ Meme
On September 3 2019, the Facebook page “Life’s Short Live Free” shared the following meme commentary (archived here), discussing Walmart discontinuing the sale of some firearms: Black text against a purple background contr
Truth or Fiction?→ The Love Letters of Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher
Various memes detailing a secret relationship between two British men during World War II described in various posts circulated through social media in August 2019. One post about Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher, and the correspondence they kept th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Canada Agree to Take in 100,000 Palestinians?
A story first attributed to a media outlet in Lebanon has prompted criticism and a public denial from the Canadian government, which flatly called it misinformation. On September 4 2019, AlAkhbar.com reported that, per an agreement between Canada and
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There are 30,000 Gun Related Deaths Per Year by Firearms’
In August 2019, a Facebook post about the United States’ purported 30,000 gun deaths per year circulated, typically copied and pasted into individual posts which themselves were each shared a handful of times. One particular version coupled with
Truth or Fiction?→ Tim Allen ‘Trump 2020 or America Is Dead’ Commentary
In late August and early September 2019, a number of Facebook users shared “pearls of wisdom” attributed to actor Tim Allen; topics discussed included United States President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, the death of Ame
Truth or Fiction?→ Has ICE Refused to Deport Undocumented White Immigrants?
While the majority of attention on deportations by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has centered around their actions against immigrants from Latin American countries, it is inaccurate to say that the agency does not
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Teen in Colorado Fall Gravely Ill From Vaping?
On August 30 2019, a Facebook user shared a lengthy post (archived here) about her daughter Piper’s purported illness, in a screed blaming “vaping” for the girl’s condition. In the post, Johnson claimed that two weeks previou
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This View of Hurricane Dorian Is Unlike Anything I’ve Ever Seen’
On September 1 2019, the following image purportedly depicting a rainbow in the eye of Hurricane Dorian appeared on social media: The post was shared more than 30,000 times in two days. An added caption read: Dorian’s image from NASA!!!😲🙏
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Kevin Hart ‘Paralyzed’ in a Car Crash?
On September 2 2019, a blog seemingly devoted to ginning up traffic for “shocking videos” on a separate website made a detour into disinformation by attempting to capitalize on comedian Kevin Hart’s real-life auto accident. According
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Rep. Ilhan Omar Photographed at an ‘Al Qaeda Training Camp’?
A Twitter user was seemingly intent on spreading disinformation about Democratic Party Rep. Ilhan Omar on Twitter, even after the “proof” they presented was quickly debunked. In late August 2019, the account posted a photograph of a woman