In February 2021, an undated screenshot of a tweet spread on Reddit and Imgur, which purportedly described the way New Zealand handled the COVID-19 pandemic (with an unvoiced but inherent contrast with the United States): Yep here you are f
Publication: viral content
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Robinhood Selling People’s Shares Without Consent, and Under Market Value?
During the late January 2021 GameStop ($GME) short squeeze, trading app Robinhood came under fire for halting the buying only (not selling) of popular tickers — and anecdotal reports began filtering into the news cycle that Robinhood was, in add
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Wall Streeters Looking Down on Occupy Wall Street’
As the debate over the online stock activity surrounding GameStop — and subsequent questions about the activity by financial trading insiders responding to it — online commentary drew a link between the anger toward present-day Wall Street
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Citadel Own Robinhood?
On January 28 2021 the popular stock trading app Robinhood controversially halted trading of two viral tickers ($GME and $AMC) following the improbable rally of $GME, leading to whispers that Robinhood was owned by Citadel — a capital firm purpo
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Average Rent $1,234 a Month, Necessitating a $30.77 Hourly Wage to Afford to Live?
In January 2021, a Facebook post from three years before began to pick up notice on social media platforms again; it maintained that the average cost of rent was $1,234 a month — a sum that the post argued was unaffordable with a federal minimum
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Still the Best Picture of #BernieSanders Sitting Though’
A January 20 2021 image of Bernie Sanders sitting (with mittens) at United States President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony went instantly viral as a meme, and among responses was a since-deleted tweet — labeled “Still the best pic
Truth or Fiction?→ Billboard in Inverness, Florida
On January 25 2021, screenshots of a purported billboard in Inverness, Florida began circulating on Twitter and Facebook: If u ever wondered how Matt Gaetz got elected This is his district #Deliverance pic.twitter.com/Cr6cQe2rpQ — Tough Love
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Joe Biden’s Rolex Really Beau Biden’s Rolex?
A January 22 2021 New York Times piece headlined, “Joe Biden, Watch Geek in Chief” observed that newly inaugurated United States President Joe Biden wore a Rolex during his inauguration, leading to at least two viral tweets asserting th
Truth or Fiction?→ Kalief Browder, Riley Williams
On January 22 2021, a tweet from @DerenicByrd contrasting the justice system’s treatment of a 22-year-old white woman named Riley Williams versus a Black teenager named Kalief Browder spread virally on Twitter and Imgur: Kalief Browder alle
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Doctor Erase $650,000 in Medical Debt for 200 People?
A retiring doctor’s act of generosity earned him national media attention and created an online buzz — while also inadvertently underlining gaps in reporting from some of the news organizations telling his story. Dr. Omar Atiq’s deci
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mr. Clean is Literally Just Branded Melamine Sponges and You Can Buy 100 of Them for Only $13’
A January 19 2021 Facebook screenshot of a January 13 2021 tweet about Mr. Clean Magic Erasers proved hugely popular, advising social media users fond of the product that generic versions were much less expensive and just as effective: Things that I
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Before Capitol Rioters Beat an Officer to Death, BLM Protesters Formed a Human Barricade Around a Cop Separated From Other Police’
After a Capitol police officer was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher during the January 6 2021 insurrection, a photograph from 2020 Black Lives Matter protests circulated, which contrasted the death of one officer at the hands of insurrection
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Amazon Banned Parler, But Allowed People to Buy This Shirt from Their Website.’
On January 16 2021, a claim about Amazon selling a “Kill All Republicans” shirt went viral as part of backlash over Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) decision to discontinue hosting controversial social media platform Parler. In a tweet, ri
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Florida Teacher Fired for Blaming the Capitol Riot on ‘Antifa’?
A Florida woman was dismissed from working as a substitute teacher for a Florida charter school system after she was caught on video attempting to justify the seditious January 6 2021 attack on the United States Capitol building. The unidentified woma
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Louisiana Floods Destroy Home of Christian Leader Who Says God Sends Natural Disasters to Punish Gay People’
On January 14 2021, an Imgur user shared the following screenshot of a headline (“Louisiana Floods Destroy Home of Christian Leader Who Says God Sends Natural Disasters to Punish Gay People”), in a post titled “Such dramatic way of c
Truth or Fiction?→ Does This Photograph Show a Tour Group the Day Before the Capitol Insurrection?
As the United States continued to grapple with a destructive and deadly right-wing riot at the Capitol building on January 6 2021, disturbing stories from Democratic Party lawmakers began to trickle out indicating that some participants may have plann
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Barbie Have a Girlfriend?
In January 2021 tweet, as the United States reeled from attacks and disinformation campaigns, another rumor gained traction: Claims that the popular Mattel doll barbie “has a girlfriend” went viral, spreading in screenshots across social p
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Donald J. Trump’s Term Ended on 2021-01-11 19:49:00’
As Democrats attempted to push for the impeachment of outgoing United States President Donald Trump on January 11 2021, the U.S. State Department’s website drew attention online for apparently listing that day as the end of both his term and tha
Truth or Fiction?→ Zip Ties and the Capitol Riots
On January 8 2021, “zip ties” became a topic of discourse around the January 6 2021 Capitol riots as the public began to unpack and come to terms with the events of that chaotic day: Many are wondering about this USA TODAY photo –
Truth or Fiction?→ 4th Precinct ‘Homeless Quilt,’ ‘Panhandler Patrol’ Post Resurfaces on Imgur
On January 5 2021, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a Facebook post attributed to an unspecified “4th precinct,” alongside an image of two uniformed police officers and a “homeless quilt” of signs confiscated by a “pa
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Illinois Police Filmed Arresting Another Law Enforcement Officer?
Footage of police officers seemingly arresting one of their own drew attention — and some cheers — online in December 2020, but authorities have not elaborated on the incident. As the Daily Dot reported, the incident was captured in Harvey
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Stimulus Pork’
A long-rumored “second stimulus” check of $600 was announced on December 21 2020 and widely deemed to be paltry to the point of insulting; not long after that, a screengrab of a chart labeled “Stimulus Pork” began spreading on
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Giulia Tofana Was an Italian Professional Poisoner … Famous for Selling Poison to Women Who Wanted to Murder Their Abusive Husbands’
A popular December 16 2020 post by the Facebook page “Beauty is Inside” discussed Giulia Tofana, a purported “Italian professional poisoner,” who became historically significant for selling a poison called “Aqua Tofana
Truth or Fiction?→ Does London Christmas Tree Rental Enable People to Borrow a Sustainable Christmas Tree?
On December 10 2020, the Facebook page “Wholesome Meets The Internet” shared an undated Twitter screenshot with information about a London Christmas tree rental company, and its purportedly sustainable model of lending out live Christmas
Truth or Fiction?→ Will the Northern Lights Be Visible in the Continental United States in December 2020?
On December 9 2020, “Northern Lights” trended on Twitter, due in part to scattered reports that the phenomena might be visible to some Americans: Look up! https://t.co/XGQ3Rl1mYc — Thrillist (@Thrillist) December 9, 2020 Twitter h
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Deadliest Days in American History’ Meme
In early December 2020, a meme began circulating titled “Deadliest Days in American History,” a sobering list of individual dates on which mass casualty events in the United States led to large losses of life — and four of the eight
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Named Goya’s ‘Employee of the Month’?
On December 7 2020, right-wing “personality” Candace Owens (among others) asserted that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) was selected as “employee of the month” at Goya because her calls to boycott the brand purport
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You Buy a Discounted Advent Calendar the Day After Christmas, It Will Count Down to Inauguration Day’
On December 3 2020, a Facebook post proposed a novel use for obsolete Advent calendars — namely, repurposing them for a new countdown to President-Elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day: That post was a screenshot of a December 1 2020 tweet
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Squirrels Land Like Superheroes When They Jump?
The “science of cute” collided with animal behavioral science on social media in a major way after a post about squirrels went viral. “The best thing I’ve learned this week is that when squirrels fall/jump — they land like su
Truth or Fiction?→ Mellissa Carone, Dominion Subcontractor, Goes Viral After Bizarre Michigan ‘Hearing’ Appearance
On December 2 2020, video of “a drunk woman” acting as a witness for purported and nonexistent election fraud went viral, due in part to the following tweet: a drunk woman is trump team’s star witness in michigan pic.twitter.com/qGxEI3
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Here’s a Postage Stamp to Help You Out Financially’
A tenant advocacy group’s gesture toward members in Bellingham, Washington was distributed online in late November 2020 but misconstrued as a disingenuous bit of “kindness” by an unscrupulous landlord. Photographs of the envelope, wh
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘My Wife Has Cancer’ Reddit Comment Spreads Virally, Prompts Discussion of American Healthcare System
A November 30 2020 post to Reddit’s r/awfuleverything spread virally across platforms, prompting discussions all over social media about u/binkybrain’s original comment and the cost of cancer care in the United States: Poor guy
Truth or Fiction?→ Oregon Health Nurse on ‘Administrative Leave’ After Tiktok About Not Wearing Masks or Social Distancing
In late November 2020, stories appeared about a viral TikTok video by account @Loveiskind05 leading to a nurse at Oregon’s Salem Health being placed on administrative leave: Nurse put on leave in Oregon after TikTok video mocking coro
Truth or Fiction?→ Giant Food ‘Super Spread’ Ad
On November 22 2020, a Reddit user shared the following image to r/facepalm, which purported to show a Giant Food “super spread” advertisement: No way this went unnoticed from facepalm The post, which was an image
Truth or Fiction?→ Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Win Emmy for Use of Television to ‘Inform and Calm People Around the World’
On November 20 2020, “Emmy” trended on Twitter due to tweets asserting that New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo was the unlikely recipient of an Emmy award: NOT A JOKE: Andrew Cuomo to Receive International Emmy for ‘Masterful Use’ of T
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rudy Giuliani Announce That He Tested Positive for ‘Covid 9/11’?
Online mockery of former New York City mayor Rudolph “Rudy” Giuliani continued in late November 2020 with a tweet by a newly-formed parody account that had other users fooled, if only for a moment. The post from “@Rudy_Giuliani_̶
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Stop What You’re Doing and Google Why Chainsaws Were Invented’
On November 9 2020, a Facebook post encouraging fellow users to “Google why chainsaws were invented” (archived) went quite viral very quickly; it alluded to the possibility that one might have difficulty guessing the original intended purp
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Georgia Voters Check and ‘Cure’ Rejected Ballots Before November 6 2020?
On November 5 2020, social media posts urged Georgia voters to check the status of their ballots, further adding that voters with rejected ballots could “cure” their ballots if they acted quickly – often advising them to call the num
Truth or Fiction?→ Wisconsin Does Not Have More Votes Than Registered Voters
Disinformation was rife on November 4 2020, including a high-engagement tweet by Mike Coudrey (@MichaelCoudrey) falsely asserting that there were more votes counted in Wisconsin than there were registered voters. It looked like this: Coudrey said: B
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dave Ramsey Warn Facebook Users About Biden’s Tax Plan?
In late October 2020, a number of Facebook users attributed a post about Joe Biden’s tax plan to money guru Dave Ramsey, instantly imparting far more weight and authority to its claims (archived): In the screenshot, an October 21 2020 post by