Did police threaten a West Hollywood, California, homeowner with jail if he removed a tent erected in his yard by a homeless person? No, that's not true: West Hollywood laws allow for the removal of trespassers from private property, including
Search Results (1251) for: misrepresent
Truth or Fiction?→ Did 41 Democrats Vote Against ‘Protecting Already Born Babies’?
In February 2020, pundits and blogs launched a round of invective against Democratic Party lawmakers after a bill targeting healthcare providers fell short of garnering enough votes for debate on the Senate floor. The latest salvo followed a cloture v
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The One Video Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Want You to See’
On February 24 2020, the Facebook page “The Hodgetwins” shared the following video purportedly showing presidential candidate Bernie Sanders praising breadlines, framed with text about it being “the one video that Bernie Sanders doe
FactCheck.org→ Roger Stone’s Crimes
President Donald Trump has criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting the president’s longtime associate Roger Stone and recommending that Stone serve up to nine years in prison. That’s his opinion, but he falsely supports it by clai
FactCheck.org→ Coronavirus Misinformation Spreads Like a Virus
China first reported an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases in the city of Wuhan on Dec. 31, and, within a month, the internet was infected with misinformation about the responsible virus, now called the 2019 novel coronavirus. Fact-checking organizatio
FactCheck.org→ Virginia Bill Wouldn’t Criminalize Criticism
Quick Take Online headlines falsely claim that Virginia lawmakers want to make criticizing state officials a “criminal offense.” The bill doesn’t create new offenses. It would merely allow cases of threats or harassment against some state off
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Sen. Elizabeth Warren Propose Making ‘Spreading Disinformation Online’ Illegal?
On January 29 2020, news network CNBC received some criticism for its portrayal of a policy proposal set forth by Democratic Party Sen. Elizabeth Warren the same day. The network said in a tweet that Warren, who is currently running for the party̵
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Washington Post Tweet ‘Anti-Semites See Socialism as a Jewish Plot, What Will They Say About Bernie Sanders?’
On January 28 2020, a screenshot of an apparent Washington Post headline musing what anti-Semites who believed that anti-Semitism itself is a “Jewish plot” might think of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign circulated on Facebook in scree
FactCheck.org→ Coronavirus Wasn’t Sent by ‘Spy’ From Canada
Quick Take Social media posts falsely claim that a “Chinese spy team” working in a Canadian government lab sent “pathogens to the Wuhan facility” prior to the coronavirus outbreak in China. Two Canadian agencies have told us tho
Truth or Fiction?→ Can You Get Coronavirus from Wish.com Products?
As concern over coronavirus spread in late January 2020, Facebook users began to share memes claiming that all products from ubiquitous seller Wish.com shipped from Wuhan, China — thought to be the region from which a massive outbreak of what
FactCheck.org→ False and Misleading Claims at Impeachment Trial
White House lawyers distorted the facts on the impeachment process and other issues during the Jan. 21 Senate trial: White House counsel Pat Cipollone falsely suggested Republicans were barred from the closed-door depositions conducted by the House in
Truth or Fiction?→ White House Impeachment Counsel Lies About GOP House Disruption
During the impeachment trial of United States President Donald Trump on January 21 2020, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone flagrantly pushed disinformation concerning an October 2019 meeting that House Republicans “stormed” for attention.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Woman Steals Trump Sign, Immediately Regrets It’ Video
On January 13 2020, Facebook user Ryan Fournier of Students for Trump (whose partner and co-founder was later charged with fraud for posing as an attorney) shared a video with the text: “Woman Steals Trump Sign. Immediately Regrets it”:
FactCheck.org→ Fake Tlaib Tweet Resurfaces Amid Iran News
Quick Take An old tweet from an account impersonating Rep. Rashida Tlaib resurfaced on social media — this time with an erroneous claim that the tweet was her response to the recent attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Full Story Rep. Rashi
FactCheck.org→ Posts Erroneously Quote Trump’s ‘Art of the Deal’
Quick Take Memes spread on Facebook falsely purport to quote a passage about lying from President Donald Trump’s 1987 book, “The Art of the Deal.” Full Story President Donald Trump’s 1987 book, “The Art of the Deal,
Lead Stories→ Fake News: NO Study Says People Who Cry During Movies Are The Strongest People Of All
Did a scientific study find that people who cry during movies are the strongest people of all? No, that's not true: This is a click-bait claim that misrepresents the conclusions of a study about the affects of emotional stories on the brain's
Snopes→ Did NYT Report Clinton and Soros ‘Paid Woman to Accuse Trump of Sexual Assault’?
A right-leaning website grossly misrepresented what a two-year-old New York Times article actually said.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Jeff Bezos Didn’t Donate $100M LOL, He Took $100M of Amazon Stock and ‘Donated’ it to His Own Charity’ Meme
On November 25 2019, Twitter user @TheyCallMeChew tweeted about the controversial donation by Amazon chief executive officer Jeff Bezos of nearly $100 million to homelessness charities, claiming that the donation was not what it seemed: Jeff Bezos
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Jeffrey Epstein Saga Does NOT Get Fishier And Fishier With Banker’s Hanging Death
Did the Jeffrey Epstein saga get fishier and fishier with the hanging death of a banker? No, that's not true: Thomas Bowers, who worked at two large banks over recent decades, committed suicide by hanging at his Malibu, California, home on Nov
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Rep. Ilhan Omar ‘Recruited by a Foreign Government’?
On November 25 2019, the co-founder of a far-right group supporting United States President Donald Trump took to Twitter to misrepresent allegations against Democratic Party Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Ryan Fournier, a leader of the group Students F
Lead Stories→ Fake News: People Shown In The ‘Stolen Lives Quilt’ Meme Are NOT Victims Of Illegal Alien Killers
Are the people shown in this "Stolen Lives Quilt" meme victims of illegal alien killers? No, that's not true. While many of those pictured were killed by undocumented immigrants, the 30 images on the right half of the meme show victims of the
FactCheck.org→ Viral Headlines Wrongly Report Indictment in Ukraine
Quick Take Ukrainian prosecutors said they have expanded their investigation involving Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma, a gas company in Ukraine. But no “indictment” has been announced, as false headlines circulating on social media
FactCheck.org→ Meme Distorts Hatch Quote
Quick Take A meme on Facebook misrepresents a year-old comment from former Sen. Orrin Hatch. He did not say, “I don’t care if Trump broke the law.” Hatch said, “I don’t care” about allegations that Trump paid hush mo
FactCheck.org→ Trump Repeats False Ukraine Claims
President Donald Trump called into “Fox & Friends” a day after the impeachment hearings ended and repeated false statements that have been debunked by fact-checkers and, in some cases, members of his own administration. Trump repeated
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Julia Roberts Supposed to Play Harriet Tubman in a 2019 Biopic?
In November 2019, just after the film Twitter was outraged over news that white actor Julia Roberts was “suggested” by a studio executive to play Harriet Tubman, a black woman and a former slave turned abolitionist hero: Julia Roberts
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Your Page is at Risk of Being Unpublished’ Facebook Warning
On November 19 2019, a number of Facebook page administrators received messages from the social media platform bearing the warning: “Your page is at risk of being unpublished” for various actions. One poster on Reddit’s r/facebook on
Climate Feedback→ New York Times op-ed claiming scientists underestimated climate change lacks supporting evidence
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This op-ed by author Eugene Linden, published under the headline “How Scientists Got Climate Change So Wrong”, argues that climate scientists have long underestimated climate change. The article discuss
Snopes→ Was Donald Trump Fined for ‘Stealing’ Money Intended for Veterans?
Social media posts and memes badly misrepresented the facts surrounding the November 2019 resolution of a high-profile lawsuit against the president.
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Donald Trump Fined $2 Million for Misappropriating Funds Donated for Veterans but Used for His Campaign?
In November 2019, a constellation of Facebook posts appeared, collectively making one claim: that United States President Donald Trump was fined $2 million after a judge ruled that funds he had raised were improperly diverted to finance his campaign.
FactCheck.org→ Posts Falsely Claim Trump ‘Stole’ From Vets
Quick Take Viral Facebook posts falsely claim that President Donald Trump “stole” charitable donations meant for veterans. A court ruled Trump illegally used his foundation for political purposes when it held a fundraiser for veterans, but
FactCheck.org→ Trump Muddies Impeachment Timeline
President Donald Trump continues to muddle the timeline of events to falsely suggest that the White House release of a memo summarizing his July phone call with the president of Ukraine silenced whistleblowers and contradicted Democratic leaders. Contr
Lead Stories→ Fake News: AOC Did NOT Push For Killing More People to Save the Planet
Did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez push for killing more people to save the planet? No, that's not true: an article about AOC backing a report that calls for various measures to tackle climate change misrepresented the "population control measures"
Truth or Fiction?→ Bogus ‘Energy Saver’ Boxes Continue Targeting Online Shoppers
Even for the dodgy nature of online sales, a dubious “product” appears to have rebranded itself in a particularly brazen manner. A reader alerted us in November 2019 about Ökowatt, which claims on its website that to be “used for ec
FactCheck.org→ Misleading Posts Target GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz
Quick Take Social media posts distort the facts around an 11-year-old, dismissed DUI charge against Rep. Matt Gaetz. They also leave the false impression that he “stole from dying people.” Full Story Posts about Rep. Matt Gaetz circula
Snopes→ Did Taylor Swift Say She ‘Supports Abortion’?
A pro-life website distorted the pop singer's words, but did not misrepresent the core meaning of her views on abortion rights.
Washington Post→ President Trump’s alternate reality on Ukraine
Trump falsely insists that a whistleblower misrepresented his phone call with the Ukrainian president and that the impeachment inquiry has lost all its steam even as the evidence becomes more perilous for him.
Truth or Fiction?→ Conservative Versus Liberal, ‘Taken at a California Public High School This Year’ Meme
In October 2018, Facebook user Matt Gaelitz shared a slide titled “Conservative vs. Liberal” along with a status update: Taken at a California public high school this year. This is what indoctrination is all about. On June 4 2018, the same
Climate Feedback→ Telegraph article on climate change mixes accurate and unsupported, inaccurate claims, misleads with false balance
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article in The Telegraph attempts to discuss the science of observed global warming and the factors responsible. However, mixed in with some accurate factual statements are claims that give readers the impress
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Canada Legalize Bestiality?
In October 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), with a headline claiming that Canada had legalized “sex with animals”: That Facebook user wrote: Sick fucks. Only,one Judge a woman was against it They are maki
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Columbus Set Out to Prove the Earth Was Round’
In October 2019, a number of memes about the legacy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus circulated on Facebook around Columbus Day, among them a meme about the claim that he “proved” that Earth is round: In the above meme, the