On August 29 2023, a tweet about disabled people and Medicaid-related laws about cash and assets was shared to Reddit’s r/facepalm: I didn’t know that, yeah… by u/ColorlessHedgehog in facepalm The Post an
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Richest 1% Evade $163 Billion in Taxes Every Year, the United States Literally Has a Yacht Tax Deduction’
On August 28 2023, an unlinked post by former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich was shared to Reddit’s r/WhitePeopleTwitter; it alleged that the “richest 1%” of Americans “evade $163 billion” in taxes each year
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Your Policies Caused This’: DeSantis Heckled Trying to Appeal to Black Floridians
The initial attempt by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to reach out to Black residents in the wake of a racist shooting attack was met with derision and criticism for the contrast to his administration’s prior policies regarding Black history. R
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Eustace Marvello’ Mugshot Tweet
On August 25 2023, a mugshot showing an interestingly coiffed man going by the name of “Eustace Marvello,” who was purportedly involved in a scheme to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, began circulating on Twitter: Eusta
Truth or Fiction?→ The ‘Breaking Bad 2 Trailer,’ Explained
In late August 2023, a video purporting to be a trailer for the series Breaking Bad 2 began to appear on Reddit and Twitter — containing spoilers for the popular television series Breaking Bad and its prequel, Better Call Saul: Breaking Bad
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A Treatable Disease’: NY Health Commisioner Ignores Long COVID
In attempting to reassure New Yorkers wary of COVID-19, the head of the state’s department of health ignored the virus’ long-term effects in August 2023. “If we get COVID, it’s a treatable disease,” Dr. Jim McDonald said i
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook Settlement Explained
On August 25 2023, accounts across social media platforms discussed a Facebook settlement and called attention to the fact that a deadline was approaching for users to submit a claim: Last day to submit your Facebook claim re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer
Truth or Fiction?→ Heath Ledger ‘Happy’ Quote
On August 20 2023, a quote about being “happy” (attributed to Heath Ledger) was shared by the Facebook page “Distorted and Creepy side of our disney” [sic]: It appeared to show a screengrab of a tweet and included a photograph
Truth or Fiction?→ Audible vs. Libby App
An August 17 2023 Facebook post advising readers to swap Audible purchases for the Libby app proved to be virally popular: Shared as a text-based status update, white text against a dark red background read: STOP paying for books on Audible. Download
Truth or Fiction?→ Secret Service Agents Discussed ‘Liaison’ with Oath Keepers’ Extremist Leader
Members of the U.S. Secret Service were not only familiar with the right-wing extremist “Oath Keepers” group — at least two also parroted their talking points and discussed a “liaison” arrangement between the two organizat
Truth or Fiction?→ Ellen Ochoa Elementary Bomb Threats
On August 23 2023, amid yet another wave of threats directed at public institutions such as schools and libraries, KFOR reporter Kaylee Olivas tweeted about “yet another” bomb threat at Ellen Ochoa Elementary school in Tulsa, Oklahoma:
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Period Products ‘Tested With Blood’ for Absorbency Claims?
In August 2023, amid larger discussions and inauthentically organized narratives about reproductive health care such as abortion, a tweet about whether period products were “tested with real blood” swirled in the context of a claim around r
Truth or Fiction?→ Canadian PM Trudeau Slams Meta for Shuttering News Access During ‘Apocalyptic’ Wildfires
The Canadian government sharply criticized the tech megafirm Meta on August 21 2023 for continuing to bar Facebook users in the country from accessing online news on the platform amid a devastating series of wildfires. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kno
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is the Pinned Tweet of the Murderer Who Killed Lauri Ann Carlton … For Having a Pride Flag on Her Business’
On August 22 2023, an Imgur user shared the following Twitter screenshots, which asserted that they showed the tweet pinned by “the murderer who killed Lauri Ann Carlton [sic] in cold blood for having a pride flag on her business”: Shocker
Truth or Fiction?→ Ted Cruz ‘Highway Shark’ Tweet
On August 21 2023, a pair of posts to Reddit’s r/WhitePeopleTwitter featured two screenshots of a tweet apparently by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) about a long-debunked “highway shark” sighting in Los Angeles: A sucker is born e
Truth or Fiction?→ Florida News Stations Double Down on Law Enforcement ‘Fentanyl Exposure’ Claims
News outlets in Florida once again indulged law enforcement claims of “distress” related to fentanyl “exposure” in August 2023, despite these types of claims being publicly debunked over and over again. The latest instance emana
Truth or Fiction?→ Massachusetts Millionaires’ Tax and Free School Lunches
On August 13 2023, a post about a Massachusetts “millionaire tax” funding school lunches appeared on Reddit’s r/politics: Massachusetts passed a 4% millionaire’s tax last year. Now every public school student is going
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Suits’ Writers Paid Just $3,000?
On August 13 2023, a popular post to Reddit’s r/WorkReform featured a claim about writers for the popular show Suits only earning $3,000 “collectively” for their work on the series: Here’s Why They’re Striking b
Truth or Fiction?→ Maui Fires: How to Help
In early August 2023, deadly wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island of Maui; one of the most upvoted posts on Reddit’s r/all featured a circulating image of the devastation: The destruction of Maui fires by u/Jonny_Boy_808 in
Truth or Fiction?→ An Author Told The Washington Post ‘The Pandemic Isn’t Over.’ Then They Deleted Her Words.
Amid reports of a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington Post altered the headline for an author’s op-ed describing living with the disease in which she said that for her and Americans living in similar situations — and contrary to
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Abortion Rights Have Won in Every Election Since Roe v. Wade Was Overturned’
On August 9 2023, a popular thread on Reddit’s r/politics addressed the topic of abortion rights, claiming that voters had favored them in every single election since the June 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade: Aborti
Truth or Fiction?→ Despite Being Rebutted on ‘Ignoring’ COVID-19, Dr. Ashish Jha Still Won’t Talk About Masks
In the wake of stating that most Americans can “ignore” COVID-19 and a public rebuttal by former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, the former head of federal response to the disease has refused to mention masking as a way to avoid possible
Truth or Fiction?→ Author Jane Friedman’s Amazon AI Post
On August 7 2023, author Jane Friedman caused an cross-platform stir when she asserted that artificial intelligence was coming for her work. According to posts she made on various platforms, Amazon was selling AI-generated books published under her
Truth or Fiction?→ Nathaniel Alexander, Folding Chair Inventor?
On August 7 2023, a meme about purported folding chair inventor Nathaniel Alexander circulated virally across social media platforms: The folding chair we commonly use today is indebted to the innovative mind of Nathaniel Alexander, an African Americ
Truth or Fiction?→ Zoom Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and AI
On August 6 2023, a tweet about Zoom’s terms of service and “training” what is popularly called machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) spread virally: Zoom terms of service now require you to allow AI to train on ALL your
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘In Matthew 25, Jesus Describes True Converts as Being Marked by a Peculiar Empathy …’
On July 31, the Facebook page The Other 98% shared a screenshot of a tweet about “Matthew 25,” a Bible verse purportedly describing how followers of Christianity should regard the “poor, marginalized, and incarcerated” in societ
Truth or Fiction?→ The Third Trump Indictment Documents Also Indict Weaponized Disinformation
On August 1 2023, disgraced former United States President Donald Trump was indicted for the third time, this time in a high-profile case helmed by United States Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith. The charging documents described a poli
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Tax Complaint’ Filed Against Moms For Liberty in Michigan
On August 2 2023, a post about the tax status of far-right activist group Moms for Liberty was popular on image-sharing site Imgur: Tax status complaint filed against anti-LGBTQ+ Moms for Liberty In total, ten article screenshots were attached to the
Truth or Fiction?→ Antonio Banderas ‘Cats’ Facebook Post
On July 30 2023, an anecdote about actor Antonio Banderas arranging a cats only premiere of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was shared to Facebook by the page “Tacatshi Purrakami” (presumably named as a pun-heavy reference to artist Takashi Mu
Truth or Fiction?→ WWF ‘Twitter Ad’ Uses ‘X’ Rebranding as Climate Analogy
On August 1 2023, a Reddit account shared a purported World Wildlife Fund (WWF) advertisement to r/europe: "Protect wildlife, before it’s too late" WWF Deutschland campaign by u/BkkGrl in europe Alongside a
Truth or Fiction?→ Antidepressants and Hot Weather Warning
In late July 2023, a year-old warning about “antidepressants and hot weather” recirculated on Facebook (and other platforms like Reddit and TikTok): As its getting warmer in the Northern Hemisphere at least. Be careful with dehy
Truth or Fiction?→ Moms For Liberty San Diego Library Protest
A July 30 2023 pair of tweets about Moms For Liberty and LGBTQ+ books spread that day and the next, suggesting that the group’s efforts to eliminate books led to $30,000 in donations for “more LGBTQ themed books”: When the story ran
Truth or Fiction?→ Sinéad O’Connor’s Saturday Night Live Rehearsal
Sinead O’Connor had a short but storied life. When the Irish musician and performer (who since 2018 had called herself Shuhada’ Sadaqat after converting to Islam) — died on July 26 2023, her groundbreaking Saturday Night Live per
Truth or Fiction?→ Hate Boner: Bluechew Co-Founder Seemingly Dabbles in ‘Race Science’
A co-founder of the company behind a popular erectile dysfunction (ED) drug locked his Twitter account after making remarks about a so-called “woke mind” and claiming that a “non-racist society” would be “communism.”
Truth or Fiction?→ July 2023 UAP Hearing, Explained
On July 26 2023, a House subcommittee hearing on unidentified objects or phenomena in the sky instantly lit up social media; for example, “UAPs,” “UFOs,” “#endUAPsecrecy,” and “Tom DeLonge” all appeared o
Truth or Fiction?→ Republican Congressman’s Hitler Newsletter Controversy
On July 25 2023, a Reddit account shared a post about Rep. Paul Gosar’s (R-Arizona) newsletter (featuring Adolf Hitler) to r/politics: Paul Gosar’s Newsletter Features Website That Calls for Readers to ‘Stand up for Hitler’: Repo
Truth or Fiction?→ That ‘PragerU in Schools’ Press Release is an Obvious Publicity Stunt
On July 24 2023 several Twitter accounts tweeted about “PragerU in schools,” citing a press release issued in relation to right-wing disinformation purveyor Dennis Prager’s foray into the educational system: FFS: PragerU Says Flori
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A24 … Is Able to Adhere To SAG-AFTRA’s Terms,’ While Big Studios Are ‘Acting Like They Can’t Afford’ To
On July 19 2023, YouTuber @TheHorrorGuru tweeted an article from Variety, claiming that the smaller independent production company A24 managed to “adhere to SAG-AFTRA’S terms while the big studios making the top 10 grossing films of the yea
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Water Was Laced With Fentanyl’
A new fearmongering tale about fentanyl began circulating online in July 2023, this time involving officials from various jurisdictions as justification. At least one iteration is presented as a warning from the New York State Department of Transportat
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Man Attacks 86 Year Old Woman … Because He Thought She Was Transgender’
On July 20 2023, a blurry screenshot of tweet and an apparent news headline — ” Man beats up 86-year-old woman with dementia because he thought she was transgender” — made it to Reddit’s r/WhitePeopleTwitter: WT