On March 22 2022, the Twitter account @libsoftiktok shared a purported Home Depot “privilege” worksheet, assumed by readers to be an internal training document for employees of the home improvement chain: Home Depot has gone woke pic.twit
Publication: viral content
Truth or Fiction?→ Netflix ‘Love is Sharing a Password’ Tweet
On March 22 2022, a purported Twitter screenshot was shared on Imgur and elsewhere, quoting a tweet by Netflix — “Love is sharing a password”: The post was titled “Keeping this here for when they eventually delete their tweet
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Credit Bureaus to Strip 70% of Unpaid Medical Debt’
On March 18 2022, a “big if true” CNBC headline suggesting that credit bureaus were planning to remove medical debts from consumer credit reports made the rounds on social media: US Credit Bureaus to strip 70% of unpaid medical d
Truth or Fiction?→ June 2008 Gas Prices
On March 14 2022, Twitter user Qasim Rashid tweeted about purported oil and gas prices in June 2008, in contrast with their prices in March 2022: Oil & Avg Gas $ June 2008:•Oil: $181.58/barrel•Gas: $4.10/gallon Oil & Avg Gas $ Mar 2022:
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Mark Twain Say ‘The Truth Has No Defense Against a Fool Determined to Believe a Lie’?
On March 15 2022, an Imgur user shared a quote meme suggesting that American author Mark Twain once said that “the truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie”: On the meme, an illustration of Twain was accompanied by
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘An Octopus Walking On The Beach … 🐙’
On March 15 2022, the account @UberFacts shared purported video of an “octopus walking on the beach” on Twitter, but with certain odd details. For example, the octopus appeared to have nine tentacles. A search quickly indicated that the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ukrainian Refugee Kids Arrive in Italy … You Won’t Believe What the Italian Kids Did Next’
On March 14 2022, Twitter user @BenPhillips76 shared a purported video of Ukrainian refugee children on their first day of school in Naples, Italy: Ukrainian refugee kids arrive in Italy, and start at local schools. On their first day they enter ner
Truth or Fiction?→ Chabad Emissaries’ Shabbat Evacuation Effort
On March 6 2022, several popular Facebook posts shared an image and story about how Ukrainian-speaking Chabad emissaries spent Shabbat making phone calls to urge Ukrainian Jews to evacuate; a version of the post was broken up into several tweets on th
Truth or Fiction?→ VP Kamala Harris ‘Laughing at Refugees’
On March 10 2022, far-right blogger and serial plagiarist Benny Johnson claimed that “[only] Kamala Harris would find it appropriate to laugh when talking about the topic of Ukrainian Refugees,” attaching a purportedly illustrative video c
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is Not a Renaissance Painting, This is a Picture Someone in Poland Took of the Window of a Train from Lviv’
On March 9 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a tweet, which contained a photograph with remarkably artistic qualities: This is not a renaissance painting. This is a picture someone in Poland took of the window of a train from Lviv… pic
Truth or Fiction?→ St. Jude Ukrainian Translators Request
On March 8 2022, an Imgur user posted a Facebook screenshot claiming that children’s hospital St. Jude sought Ukrainian translators to aid in efforts to treat children evacuated from Ukraine: It wasn’t clear when the post was shared to Fac
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ukraine Looters Taped to Poles’
On March 7 2022, a screenshot of the following reply tweet purportedly depicting a Russian soldier caught looting in Ukraine appeared on Imgur and elsewhere: My favorite….this Russian soldier was marking buildings for rocket hits…and was doing a
Truth or Fiction?→ Kharkiv Railway Station Image
Amid an ongoing attack on Ukraine by Russian forces, Imgur posts on March 6 and March 7 2022 purportedly showed photographs of a crowded railway station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, illustrating residents’ attempts to flee to safety: “Photo of Kha
Truth or Fiction?→ Republican Candidate Booed by University of North Texas Students
On March 3 2022, a video apparently showing Texas House candidate Jeff Younger (R) getting booed by a university classroom full of students spread virally on Twitter: Anti-trans Texas House candidate Jeff Younger came to the University of North Texas
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Flooding in Australia Cause a Quad Bike to Get Stuck on a Power Line?
A photograph showing one of the milder effects of fatal flooding in eastern Australia spread online in March 2022, but despite (reasonable) skepticism, it is legitimate. The photograph was first posted by the power company Energex on February 28 2022 a
Truth or Fiction?→ Putin ‘Stripped of Black Belt’
On March 2 2022, two Imgur posts claimed Russia’s president Vladimir Putin was “stripped of his black belt”; one of the two posts was an Instagram screenshot, the other depicting a February 28 2022 post on Reddit’s r/worldnews:
Truth or Fiction?→ Interfax Ukraine: ‘No Need to Declare’ Captured Russian Tanks on Tax Forms
On March 2 2022, at least six posts on Imgur and countless posts on Facebook and Twitter covered a rumor that Ukraine’s tax authorities had issued guidance indicating citizens need not declare captured Russian tanks as taxable income or assets:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Digital Billboards in Ukraine’
On March 1 2022, a popular Imgur post titled “Digital billboard in Kyiv: ‘Russia soldier, stop! Putin has lost. The whole world is with Ukraine. Leave without blood on your hands'” purportedly showed messages on Ukraine billboards vis
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Apple Pay and Google Pay No Longer Work on Moscow’s Metro System,’ Causing Queues
On February 28 2022, Irish journalist Jason Corcoran tweeted the following image, which was purportedly a photograph of long queues at a Moscow metro station after Apple Pay and Google Pay stopped working in Russia: Apple Pay and Google Pay no longer
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Ukraine’s President on His Country’s Version of ‘Dancing With The Stars’?
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky led his country through an invasion by Russian forces in February 2022, highlights from his previous career spread more frequently online. Specifically, the footage shows Zelensky’s performances on Tant
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Vitaly Skakun Sacrificed His Life to Explode a Bridge and Stop the Russian Advance’
On February 25 2022, posts about a young Ukrainian soldier named Vitaly Skakun circulated on social platforms like Imgur: Vitaly skakun sacrificed his life to explode a bridge and stop the russian advance. may his memory be a blessing In the above po
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Hungarian Gentleman in Connecticut’ Calls WNYC to Advise Ukrainian Civilians
Amid an active invasion by Russia on February 25 2022, a Twitter screenshot appeared on Imgur describing a “Hungarian gentleman” who called into WNYC to “explain the necessity of everyday Ukrainians knowing how to make a Molotov coc
Truth or Fiction?→ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Anti-Trans Directive
On February 23 2022, a letter attributed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services around matters concerning transgender children circulated heavily on social platforms like Twitter and Reddit: G
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Store Avocados in Water’ Post
A February 17 2022 viral post advised readers to store avocados in water to extend their shelf life; the post quickly spread in shares and as screenshots on Facebook and Twitter: I don’t normally tweet FB posts but this one…IS THIS TRUE?? And If
Truth or Fiction?→ Berlin Wall ‘10316 Days’ Meme
On February 22 2022, an Imgur user shared their “13th favorite” post, about how the Berlin Wall “stood for 10316 days” (and a proportional passage of time); on the date it was shared, Imgurians flooded the front page of Imgur wi
Truth or Fiction?→ Origin of ‘Goodbye’
On February 21 2022, an Imgur user shared a Tumblr screenshot, purportedly explaining the origin of the word “goodbye” in English: Entitled “Chat speak,” the post was not the first linguistically-themed meme to spread on social
Truth or Fiction?→ How Did Hush Puppies Get Their Name?
On February 12 2022, a Facebook user shared the following post, which purportedly describes how “hush puppies” got their name: Escaping slaves used to throw balls of fried cornmeal out to distract the hounds from tracking them. The hound st
Truth or Fiction?→ Dasia Taylor Suture Invention
On February 1 2022, the Facebook page for Missouri radio station Y107 (KTXY-FM) shared a meme about Dasia Taylor, a teenager who purportedly developed a suture technology to detect infections: Alongside the meme, Y107 simply hashtagged the post #Black
Truth or Fiction?→ Anthony Bourdain: ‘Eat at a Local Restaurant Tonight’ Quote
On February 12 2022, the Facebook page “Messages for the Soul” shared the following quote attributed to Anthony Bourdain, along with an image: “Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock i
Truth or Fiction?→ Stephen King ‘Hard to Believe There Was Ever a World Leader as Dumb as Donald Trump’ Quote Meme
On February 15 2022, an Imgur user shared the following quote meme, reportedly showcasing commentary by author Stephen King on former United States President Donald Trump’s fitness for office: A different quote attributed to Stephen King spread
Truth or Fiction?→ ATF Valentine’s Day Tweet
On February 14 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) trended on Twitter with the following description: Many react to a recent Valentine’s Day-themed Tweet from the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) Some of
Truth or Fiction?→ Rosa Parks Bus Ad Meme
On February 10 2022 an Imgur user shared the following meme, which purportedly showed an advertisement in honor of Rosa Parks — insensitively placed on the back of a bus in Birmingham, Alabama: The back of a bus was visible in the meme, as was a
Truth or Fiction?→ Mysterious Black Liquid Falling in Las Vegas
On February 10 2022 an Imgur user shared a screenshot of the following tweet about a “mysterious black liquid” that had reportedly been falling from the sky in Las Vegas: A mysterious black liquid has been falling on people in East Las V
Truth or Fiction?→ Britney Spears vs. Somali Pirates Meme
On February 9 2022, a “fun fact” meme explaining that the music of pop star Britney Spears was used to repel Somali pirates in 2013 appeared on Imgur: Spears was shown at the top left of the meme, and a group of men in a small boat, arms r
Truth or Fiction?→ Ayn Rand Institute PPP Controversy
On February 10 2022, Imgur user @PrincessPicklebricks shared a screenshot of the following tweet, suggesting that the Ayn Rand Institute “sought, and was granted, a PPP loan from the government”: Never letting ‘Atlas Shrugged’ fans li
Truth or Fiction?→ James Hemings and Macaroni and Cheese
A viral February 4 2022 Facebook post crediting chef James Hemings (brother to Sally Hemings) with the invention of macaroni and cheese consisted of the following tweet, published on February 1 2022: Chef James Hemings was the first American classic
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Fun Little Trick in the Sunday New York Times Crossword’
On February 8 2022, screenshots of a tweet about a “fun little trick” in the Sunday, February 6 2022 New York Times crossword appeared on Imgur and Facebook: Fun little trick in the Sunday New York Times crossword yesterday: the central t
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Suicide Hotline Collected, Monetized’ Caller Data
On February 1 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot under the title “Suicide Hotline Collected, Monetized The Data Of Desperate People,” showing an article or a blog post: Suicide Hotline Collected, Monetized The Data Of Desperate Peopl
Truth or Fiction?→ Ben Shapiro ‘Nobody Said Crime’ Tweet
On February 3 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a purported tweet by right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro, in which Shapiro chastised commenters on a thread about things that should be “banned” and the absence of “crime” on th
Truth or Fiction?→ John Adams: ‘The Government of the United States of America Is Not, in Any Sense, Founded on the Christian Religion’
On February 1 2022, an Imgur account shared the following quote about the separation of church and state, attributed to Founding Father and second President of the United States, John Adams: On Imgur, the submission was titled “When they tell y