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
Publication: viral content
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 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?→ #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?→ 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?→ 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?→ 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?→ ‘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?→ 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’
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Volkswagen Pull an Ad Because it Included a Racist Slur?
Auto makers Volkswagen scuttled an online ad in May 2020 campaign after social media users detected a prejudiced subtext and outright racist text within the short video. A tweet by journalist Felix Edeha criticizing the video was highlighted (or ̶
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Say There Are ‘Many Per Capitas’ During a COVID-19 Discussion?
On May 20 2020, a number of people on social media referenced remarks by United States President Donald Trump about the meaning of the phrase “per capita”: Trump: "And, when you say per capita, there’s many per capitas. It’s li
Truth or Fiction?→ In May 2020, Did Scientists Find Evidence of a Parallel Universe Where Time Runs Backwards?
If you spent any time on social media in the later days of May 2020, chances are you saw a New York Post article from May 19 2020 about scientists “discovering a parallel universe” circulating on social media, which is apparently a place
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Walmart Promote a COVID-19 Testing Site Using a Pepsi Ad?
Walmart pulled a banner promoting a COVID-19 testing site on May 20 2020 after receiving criticism for also using the space to promote a soft drink. A photo of the banner that has been shared thousands of times shows the mention of the site alongside
Truth or Fiction?→ Was there a Garbage Pail Kids ‘Corona Mona’ Card?
In April and May 2020, memes circulated of a specific trading card from 1980s American pop culture touchstone the Garbage Pail Kids called “Corona Mona,” showing one of the product’s signature unseemly figures covered in mucus: In t
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Muzzles are for Dogs and Slaves’ COVID-19 Protest Sign
On May 18 2020, a photograph purportedly from a COVID-19 anti-lockdown protest began circulating, which showed a white woman holding a sign reading “muzzles are for dogs and slaves” alongside an illustration of a black woman wearing a mask
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Ulta Paying Employees for the Duration of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
On May 10 2020, Ulta Beauty became the subject of a viral Facebook post claiming that the chain continued paying their furloughed employees for the duration of the pandemic: In what appeared to be originally a friends-locked post, the alliterativel
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Striking’ Photograph of Children Playing in ‘Chalk Squares’ During Coronavirus Pandemic
On May 12 2020, the following image of small children separated by “chalk squares” on a playground during the COVID-19 pandemic began circulating: In a caption on the above iteration, the user wrote “Their reality …,” bu
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Elon Musk Use Buca di Beppo’s Photograph of a Sundae?
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk drew another round of criticism online after reposting a restaurant chain’s promotional photograph without attribution. Musk posted the photo — an “ice cream sundae in a martini glass,” as he describe
Truth or Fiction?→ Did U.S. President Donald Trump Tweet That Obama Didn’t ‘Prepair’ for the Coronavirus Pandemic?
On May 12 2020, a screenshot of a purported tweet from United States President Donald Trump circulated — in which he purportedly lashed out at Barack Obama and said that his predecessor didn’t “prepair” for the coronavirus pa
Truth or Fiction?→ Did FARK’s Drew Curtis ‘Predict’ a Difficult 2020 — in 2015?
On May 1 2020, FARK‘s Drew Curtis retweeted a tweet of his own — oddly, a December 31 2015 commentary about being a time traveler from 2020, advising readers to enjoy the new year (2016), because 2020 was apparently going to be something e
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a May 6 1993 ‘Simpsons’ Episode Feature an ‘Asian Flu’ And ‘Murder Bees’?
Almost every major global event has a purported Simpsons episode predicting it, and COVID-19 was no different — but a variation of the 2020 claim that The Simpsons predicted COVID-19 snapped back with a second claim the same episode also pre
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘Proud Boy’ Rob Cantrell Photographed at a Right-Wing Protest in Michigan?
The photograph that came to symbolize the hypocrisy present in an anti-government protest in Michigan on April 30 2020 became the center of an unfounded allegation concerning its origins. The image, showing an unidentified man yelling at a group of po
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Venice in Quarantine’: Did Flamingos Flock to Quiet Canals?
Quirky or uplifting news was in high demand as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on, which was likely the reason that a Facebook post (“Venice … in quarantine,” archived here) purportedly showing flamingos in the deserted canals of Venic
Truth or Fiction?→ Are COVID-19 Doctors Reporting Bizarre Blood Clotting and Strokes in Otherwise Healthy Young Patients?
On May 3 2020, Twitter user Bess Kalb tweeted that her father, an intensive care unit doctor, claimed that COVID-19 damaged blood and vascular systems of victims like “sticking your finger in an electric socket”: My dad is an ICU doctor
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Man in California Spotted Shopping While Wearing a Ku Klux Klan Hood?
Social media users and officials in a small southern California city condemned photographs spreading online showing an unidentified man shopping in public while wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood as a “face mask” during the first weeks of the COV
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Michigan Gov. Whitmer Need Protection From Armed Right-Wing Protesters?
As armed demonstrators descended on the Michigan statehouse in Lansing on April 30 2020, the footage became a point of contention online. The video, first posted by WDIV-TV business editor Rod Meloni, shows a group of protesters demanding to be let in
Truth or Fiction?→ Is CostCo Requiring Shoppers to Cover Their Faces?
As the CostCo retail chain prepared to implement new requirements for shoppers, a message of support for the policy gained traction among Facebook users. The post is based around a photograph of a sign informing shoppers that members will be required
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Elon Musk Tweet ‘If One Day, My Words are Against Science, Choose Science’ Before a COVID-19 Controversy?
As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed in the United States, dueling opinions were politicized and bluntly split between opinions based on hard science versus economics. This ended up leading to the recirculation of a purported tweet from Elon Musk about
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Wear Your Mask: The Urine Test’ Analogy Meme
On April 29 2020, a post titled “Wear Your Mask: The Urine Test” appeared on r/funny (and soon r/all), aiming to explain the purpose of masks during the coronavirus pandemic to pants in the presence of a person uncontrollably urinating eve
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Four Networks ‘Set to Announce They Will No Longer Televise Trump’s Announcements’?
Those perhaps seeking relief from live coverage of United States President Donald Trump’s daily briefings on COVID-19 shared a Texas man’s unverified claim that some major news outlets would stop carrying them in late April 2020. “CN
Truth or Fiction?→ CNN ‘Global Death Toll Approaches Three Million People’ Chyron Error
On April 27 2020, a screen capture purportedly of CNN showing anchor Wolf Blitzer with a chyron reading “GLOBAL DEATH TOLL APPROACHES THREE MILLION PEOPLE” circulated on social media, often marked with question marks, circles, and an arrow
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Meeting Between Breadfruit’ Facebook Meme
As the COVID-19 pandemic wore on in April 2020, a “Meeting Between Breadfruit” Facebook status update meme began recirculating; iterations of the meme were nearly identical: My name is [name], I think many people know me, no matter when ou