On August 10 2019, news broke that jailed financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a Metropolitan Correctional Center jail cell, immediately prompting a flood of conspiracy theories: Among those rumors was a claim
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Netflix Really Cancel ‘The OA’?
News that Netflix had cancelled its popular supernatural show The OA after airing only two of its five planned seasons aired broke on August 5 2019, causing #SaveTheOA and #RenewTheOA to trend on Twitter. Not long after, fans of the show on Reddit
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Anne Frank Write that ‘Terrible Things’ Were Happening, Parents Taken While Children Were at School?
After an August 7 2019 Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Mississippi in which young children were left to wander the streets after their parents had been arrested, a quote attributed to Anne Frank about similar occurrences before the Holoca
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Tommy Lee Write a Lengthy Anti-Trump Screed on Twitter?
On August 7 2019, musician Tommy Lee shared a screenshot of a longer post to Twitter, commentary in which he purportedly began “You Trumpsters better pray that liberals never gain control of the WH again”: pic.twitter.com/XLT4DQJo5b &mda
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘First Day of School’ Picture After Mississippi ICE Raid
On August 8 2019, Facebook user Lora Kay Morrow shared the following photograph (archived here), purportedly showing a distressed young girl whose parents were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on her first day of school in Mississ
Truth or Fiction?→ 2019 ‘Reported Cases of Flesh Eating Bacteria’ Map on Facebook
On July 17 2019, a Facebook user shared a post (archived here), claiming an image of a map plotted the locations of “reported cases of flesh eating bacteria” that summer. In the status update, the user wrote: I will no longer be going to
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Last Year Guns Killed’ Protest Sign
A November 2018 Facebook post about purported gun deaths “last year” (in this case, 2017) circulated in the aftermath of two back-to-back deadly mass shootings in early August 2019 (post archived here): A sign held up at an unnamed eve
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Police in Texas Attach a ‘Leash’ to a Black Man’s Handcuffs?
On August 5 2019 the Facebook page “Adrienne Bell for Congress” shared the following image without a description, which appeared to show a black man handcuffed and attached to a leash held by a white police officer who was leading him do
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This an Accurate Picture of 2019’s Mass Shooters?
Research in progress. Two days after the August 3 2019 El Paso, Texas mass shooting, in which the suspect expressed a range of violent white supremacist views, an image was posted to Reddit’s r/conspiracy (archived here) purportedly showing a
Truth or Fiction?→ DJ Cooper ‘Pregnant’?
On August 4 2019, the Facebook page “NBA talk” shared a meme containing the claim that that male basketball player DJ Cooper’s urine test for drugs returned a positive result… but not for drugs: Along with a status update
Truth or Fiction?→ Are El Paso Mass Shooting Victims or Their Families Avoiding Hospitals for Fear of Immigration Enforcement?
After at least 22 people were murdered in an August 3 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas mall, rumors flew as the country tried to get a handle on the violence and anticipated what could happen next. Chief among the rumors were claims that Immigr
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Donald Trump Deleting Anti-Immigrant Tweets?
As several mass shootings within just days of one another left the United States reeling, the ideologies of the shooters began to come under scrutiny for possible ties to sites that specialize in radicalizing disaffected young men into violent white
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This ‘a Feminist’ Exposing Herself to Students During a Field Trip?
In late July 2019, the following tweet appeared, claiming that the following image shows a “feminist” exposing herself to children on a school field trip: School kids recently went on a trip to a feminist "art exhibit" and this
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Someone Putting Nair in Hair Conditioner Bottles?
A pair of posts shared to Facebook on July 28 and 29 2019 carried a warning to consumers, claiming that a woman’s hair had “fallen out in clumps” because someone had added Nair (or another cream-based depilatory) to conditioner purch
Truth or Fiction?→ Is OfficeMax Selling Bullet-Resistant Backpacks?
On July 28 2019, a Facebook user shared a Snapchat image to Facebook (archived here), apparently showing a sale at OfficeMax of bullet-resistant backpacks. Across the image was text reading “SHIT JUST BROKE MY HEART,” and the following co
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Lemons Evolve Naturally?
On July 29 2019, the Facebook page “Absurd Memes for a Better Tomorrow” shared a claim that lemons are not naturally occurring: Underneath a “what’s on your mind” tweet in a screenshot, another account responds with a
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Asylum Seekers Get $2,100 Per Month Starting Their First Day in the United States?
On July 16 2019, the following text-based status update (archived here) appeared on Facebook with the uncited claim that asylum seekers admitted to the United States receive a $2,100 monthly payment — whereas by comparison, Americans who had paid i
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Video Show Seesaws on Both Sides of the Border Wall?
On July 29 2019, the Facebook page “Jolt Texas” shared a video (archived here), stating that “[artists] installed seesaws at the border wall” so that “kids in the U.S. and Mexico could play together”: The clip r
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Only People Under 40 Hear This Sound?
In July 2019 a number of posts circulated Facebook, all of which linked to video of a 15000 Hz/15 kHz frequency sound that is purportedly only audible to people younger than 40. One iteration (archived here) accrued a large number of shares. Its origi
Truth or Fiction?→ Steve Jobs’ Last Words?
On July 30 2019, Facebook user Joseph Rudy Rullo shared what were purportedly Apple pioneer Steve Jobs’ last words (archived here), uttered on his deathbed: The post eventually segued into other musings, but it began with Jobs’ suppose
Truth or Fiction?→ Are ‘Beyond Meat’ or ‘Impossible Burger’ Ingredients Indistinguishable From Dog Food?
On July 20 2019, a Facebook user shared a photograph of what appears to be a block of text from an unnamed newspaper or a magazine, containing the claim that “meat substitutes” Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger had the same ingredient
Truth or Fiction?→ Did U.S. President Donald Trump Say ‘What You’re Seeing’ Is ‘Not What’s Happening’?
In July 2019, the Facebook page “Bristol for Europe” shared side-by-side prints that contrasted a purported quote by United States President Donald Trump with one from English author George Orwell: On the left was a quote attributed t
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Bucket of Heads,’ ‘Cooler’ with ‘Genitalia’ Alleged in Body Parts Broker Raid
In July 2019, a number of macabre stories circulated on social media that were based on recent reports that an Arizona facility that was supposed to be processing bodies donated to science was the subject of a gruesome and macabre raid. In July 2019,
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Mr. Rogers Challenge Pool Segregation with a Black Police Officer in 1969?
Press ahead of the 2019 release of a biopic about Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood star Fred Rogers led to increased interest in his remarkable life. One story this renewed attention unearthed detailed how the children’s show purportedly tack
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ICE Detain an American Citizen Despite His Proof of Citizenship?
In July 2019, multiple news organizations reported that American-born teenager Francisco Galicia was apprehended and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the previous month — who then kept him for close to a month: A United States
Truth or Fiction?→ Luzerne County, Pennsylvania ‘School Lunch Debt’ Controversy
The issue of “school lunch debt” prompted heated debates in July 2019, thanks in part to an ongoing controversy in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The topic of incurring debt for school lunches in the Pennsylvania county came to national att
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Ivanka Trump Photographed Wearing a Swastika Logo?
On July 23 2019, the Twitter account @ScenarioLENS shared the following image of Ivanka Trump, posing with a law enforcement agent in what looked like a strange, stylized swastika sweater: What the hell is she wearing?! pic.twitter.com/G3IZVFipkn &md
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Once-Segregated Library Now Named After Black Astronaut Ronald McNair?
On July 20 2019, the Facebook page “Being Liberal” shared a screenshot of a tweet published two days earlier by @IFLScience concerning segregation and Challenger astronaut Ronald McNair: In 1959 a librarian called the police on 9-r-old Ro
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Straw Ban Misguided Because Half the Ocean’s Plastic Is From Fishing?
In July 2019 a Facebook user shared the following comic about plastic nets and ocean pollution: In four panels depicting a person with a plastic straw and a seal trapped in a plastic net, it read: Person: I NEED TO SAVE THE OCEAN FROM ALL THE PLASTIC
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘That’s One Way to Escape the Police’ Ferrari Video
On July 19, the Facebook page “LADbible” shared video of a risky driving maneuver by a Ferrari, displaying the label “That’s one way to escape the police… 😱🚨”: The smooth and highly realistic footage seemed
Truth or Fiction?→ Does ‘a Pair’ of DD Breasts Weigh Between 15 and 23 Pounds?
In June 2019 the Facebook page “Weird Facts“shared the following meme, claiming DD-cup breasts weigh between 15 and 23 pounds (6.8 to 10.4 kilograms): Under a photograph of a woman’s breasts in a bra, text read: A pair of D-cup br
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Grill Brushes Cause You to Ingest Metal and Become Ill?
On July 14 2019, a Facebook user shared a photograph purportedly illustrating the risks posed by grill brushes and the metal they can leave behind attaching to food that is consumed. In an attached status update, the poster warned: I would suggest to
Truth or Fiction?→ Did George Washington Say Citizens Gain the Right to Unseat the Government if the Government Restricts Guns?
In May 2019, the Facebook page “McGroarty for Freedom” shared the following meme containing a quote attributed to George Washington concerning the rights of citizens to bear arms: Across a black background, white text read: “Wh
Truth or Fiction?→ A View of San Francisco ‘Yesterday’?
On July 20 2019 the Facebook page “The Modern Conservative” shared the following image, purportedly showing San Francisco the day before: Commenters lamented the purported state of the city underneath the photograph: SF is going downhil
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Addiction’ Sculpture in Amsterdam
In June 2019, the Facebook page “Archeology & Civilizations” shared the following image, purportedly of a sculpture in Amsterdam called “Addiction.” That post wasn’t the only time the same piece title and description
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Hotel Closest To Area 51 Fully Booked for the ‘Storm Area 51’ Event?
Buzz about the viral “Storm Area 51” Facebook event continued through July 2019, including an article on a site called AnonNews.co about a flurry of hotel bookings for the venue nearest the famed military installation: Despite the warnings
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rep. Ilhan Omar Become a Citizen Before Melania Trump?
On July 16 2019, the Facebook page “Yes She Can” shared a meme with claim that Rep. Ilhan Omar had been an American citizen longer than First Lady Melania Trump (née Knauss): Text posted with the meme went as follows: Isn’t it in
Truth or Fiction?→ Was an Iowa Official Fired for His Love of Tupac Shakur?
In mid-July 2019, claims appeared that 66-year-old Iowa official Jerry Foxhoven was fired from his job because of his strong affection for legendary hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur: In the linked July 18 2019 article, UNILAD reported: A 66-year-old wh
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Federal Guidelines List ‘Go Back Where You Came From’ as an Example of Harassment?
On July 16 2019, producer Nick Ramsey sent a tweet referencing a controversy involving U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that people unhappy with the United States should “go back to where they came from”: … from the @u
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Menthol Shaving Cream (or Foam) a Remedy for Sunburned Skin?
A June 2018 Facebook post recommending menthol shaving cream (or shaving foam, as it is called in the UK) to alleviate the pain of sunburns has accrued more than 230,000 shares. A repost by another person with the same photographs was also shared tho