REVIEW An enormous variety of social media posts questioning the safety and efficacy of face masks to control the spread of COVID-19 have backed their claims by citing health authorities such as the World Health Organization (example), the U.S. Cent
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Truth or Fiction?→ Does This Image Depict an ‘Antifa Rioter’ Named Brian Who ‘Hit a Woman’ in Front of a ‘Real Man’?
On July 6 2020, Facebook user John Sargent shared the following image, which he claimed showed an “antifa street rioter” named Brian — heavily implying that “Brian’s” injuries were from receiving a righteous beatdow
AllSides→ The President’s Trumped-Up Claims of Voter Fraud
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/07/the-presidents-trumped-up-claims-of-voter-fraud/ In a July 30 tweet,
AFP Fact Check→ Misleading claim circulates in Hong Kong about government-issued press passes
A graphic shared hundreds of times in multiple posts on Facebook in Hong Kong contains a claim that government-issued press credentials are required in China, the UK, the US and Singapore. The posts, which circulated during Hong Kong's pro-democra
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Antifa Is NOT Planning A Training Session August 15, 2020 In Garnet, Montana
Is "Antifa" planning a training session August 15, 2020 in Garnet, a historic ghost town in Montana? No, that's not true: The remote 130-acre site east of Missoula, Montana, is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bluegill Are NOT One Of The Most Dangerous Fish In North America
Are bluegill one of the most dangerous fish in North America, related to piranhas and responsible for 500 deaths in the USA annualy? No, that's not true: Bluegill are not related to piranahs and they don't attack people. The clai
FactCheck.org→ Lincoln Project
Political Leanings: Republican/Anti-President Trump 2018 Spending: N/A Established in late 2019, the Lincoln Project is a conservative super PAC that aims to “defeat President Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box” in 2020. According to the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Do NOT Wear The White Side Of A Surgical Mask Outward When You’re Not Sick And Want To Keep Virus Out
Do the white and blue sides of surgical masks serve different purposes? No, that's not true. The only correct way to wear the mask is with the blue side facing out, according to a instructional video released by the World Health
Full Fact→ Facebook post on lockdown rule changes are right for certain parts of England
A post on Facebook has made a number of claims about changes to lockdown rules. At the time of writing, on 31 July 2020, the post correctly reflected changes to lockdown in certain areas in Northern England. But the post incorrectly states you can go t
Full Fact→ Viral Facebook post incorrectly claims that a list of PPE contracts are all unfulfilled
A viral Facebook post claims that the government spent £1 billion on personal protective equipment (PPE) which never arrived. The contracts listed are real, but there is no evidence to say that none of this PPE ever arrived. For example, the firs
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Proof 5G Causes Cancer, Infertility Or Targets Children For ‘Genocide’
Are 5G cell towers targeting children at playgrounds with radiation that causes cancer and infertility as part of a "genocide"? No, that is not true. There is no proof that 5G causes cancer or infertility, and zero evidence that
FactCheck.org→ The President’s Trumped-Up Claims of Voter Fraud
In a July 30 tweet, President Donald Trump suggested for the first time that the 2020 election should be postponed, drawing — once again — false distinctions between mail-in and absentee ballots. With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee
Poynter→ This is how you can take oxygen away from those false videos about COVID-19
This was a tough week for those who are at the forefront of the war against disinformation. Two cases of great media impact made it clear that the battles are growing in complexity and that everyone should know by now how they can help to take oxygen a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Women Do NOT Need To Be 25, Married, Have A Son, Daughter And Their Husband’s Consent To Get Their Tubes Tied
Does a woman have to be 25 years old, married, have at least one son and one daughter, and have her husband's consent to get a tubal ligation? No, that's not true: Requirements for surgical sterilization for women (and men, too)
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Regis Philbin Did Not Leave $20 Million to Trump Campaign
Did Regis Philbin leave $20 million dollar to the Trump campaign after his recent death? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing
Truth or Fiction?→ Donald Trump: ‘Nobody Likes Me’
On July 29 2020, an apparent CNN screen capture featuring a chyron quoting United States President Donald Trump as saying “nobody likes me” circulated on sites like Reddit: Does this count? from facepalm
Full Fact→ Surgical masks may offer some protection to the wearer from Covid-19 and may stop them from infecting others
A picture of a box of face masks, which says on the side that they “will not provide any protection against Covid-19 (coronavirus) or other viruses or contaminants” has been shared on Facebook. The image of the box seems genuine, as other m
Full Fact→ It’s not true that employees who have to quarantine cannot be ‘penalised’
“Employers, just like employees, have got to follow the law. I don’t think you could be laying people off or taking penalties against people for adhering to the law [...] If someone has followed the law in relation to quarantine and self-i
FactCheck.org→ In Viral Video, Doctor Falsely Touts Hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 ‘Cure’
Quick Take A widely shared video, featuring a doctor falsely claiming hydroxychloroquine is a “cure” for COVID-19, ignited an online storm that resulted in the video being pulled by social media platforms. There is no known cure for COVID-19, and c
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: United Nations Did NOT Order Trump To Stand Down In Portland
Did the United Nations order President Trump to "stand down" in Portland? No, that's not true. An article that has gone viral claiming the UN has told Trump to "stop Federal officers from using non-lethal force against 'peaceful
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the United States Postal Service Urge Mail-In Voters to Request Envelopes by October 20th?
Amid increasing concern over the United States Postal Service’s efficiency leading up to the 2020 U.S. elections, a CBS News host’s tweet warned voters seeking to take part by mail. “USPS says you should give mail in ballots at least
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Nancy Pelosi Was NOT Removed From The House Floor For Being Drunk
Was Speaker Nancy Pelosi removed from the floor of the House of Representatives for drunk and disorderly conduct? No, that's not true: This is a fictional piece written by a known satire website. These stories are often re-publis
Full Fact→ How we’re using AI to scale up global fact checking
With much of the world adapting to a new normal, it is more important than ever that the public is aware of the dangers of false or misleading information on the coronavirus pandemic. Fact checking organisations around the world are stepping up and sta
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: $11 Billion Dollar Border Wall Did NOT Blow Down In Hurricane Hanna
Did part of the border wall separating the United States from Mexico blow over during Hurricane Hanna? No, that's not true. Video purporting showing a section of the border wall in Texas blowing over with gale force winds during
Snopes→ Google To Keep Most of Its Employees at Home Until July 2021
Google has decided that most of its 200,000 employees and contractors should work from home through next June.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Mandatory Vaccinations Are NOT In Direct Violation Of The Nuremberg Code
Are mandatory vaccinations in direct violation of the Nuremberg Code? No, that's not true: The Nuremberg Code, a set of principles that grew out of the Nuremberg trials at the end of World War II, applies to human experimentation, not app
Truth or Fiction?→ Pedophile’s Decapitated Corpse Not Found on Judge’s Doorstep After Bail Hearing
On July 26 2020, what appeared to be a shocking local news story (headline: “Pedophile’s Decapitated Corpse Found On Judge’s Doorstep After Bail Hearing In Ocala, Florida”) began circulating on Facebook and Twitter: It's times li
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Tom Brady Say ‘If Anyone on My Team Kneels, I Quit’?
On July 23 2020, a Facebook link to an article claiming that American football player Tom Brady threatened to quit playing if anyone on his team was to kneel began circulating: Clicking through to the link led to the following content: Tom B
Health Feedback→ A trypsin-based oral spray reportedly deactivates SARS-CoV-2 in a liquid suspension but has not yet been tested in the mouth
REVIEW A video posted on Facebook on 20 July 2020 reports the contents of a press release issued the same day by life sciences company Enzymatica claiming that its oral spray deactivated 98.3% of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro within 20 minutes. However, the h
Health Feedback→ Scientific evidence supports the use of face masks for reducing the transmission of respiratory diseases including COVID-19
REVIEW A Facebook post published in May 2020 by a user named “Caitlyn RN” (see Notes for more information) claimed that masks do not prevent the spread of pathogens, and that wearing a mask can cause oxygen deficiency and hypercapnia (high carbo
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Pepper-Spraying Medical Supplies a War Crime?
Footage posted by a journalist covering the ongoing protests against police brutality brought back to light an apparent loophole exploited by law enforcement. As part of his coverage on July 22 2020, Portland-area reporter Sergio Olmos posted footage
FactCheck.org→ What Science Says About Children, COVID-19 and School Reopenings
In promoting the reopening of schools this fall, Trump administration officials have, at times, inaccurately described the evidence on how COVID-19 affects children: Adm. Brett Giroir, the coronavirus task force lead on testing, said on July 12 that
FactCheck.org→ Cuomo Distorts CDC Finding in Blaming Trump
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the over-the-top claim that if the Trump administration “had done its job, the virus wouldn’t come” to New York. Cuomo pointed to a study that suggested government officials could have better mitigated the spread o
FactCheck.org→ Video Misrepresents the Science Behind Face Masks
Quick Take A viral video misrepresents scientific papers and the reasons for wearing face masks to claim that they are ineffective in mitigating transmission of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that masks may help preve
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Amish People Not Get Coronavirus Because They Don’t Have Television?
In July 2020, a number of Facebook memes circulated riffing on the same theme — that Amish people in the United States were not developing COVID-19, because they “don’t have television sets.” Variations We observed this claim s
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Meijer DOES Now Require Masks Of All People Shopping In Company Stores
Are shoppers at Meijer groceries and express stations free to "politely decline" a mask against the novel coronavirus and go on their way, shopping in the stores without pressure? No, that is not true. While Meijer did just change their p
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Does NOT Conclude Mask Wearers Have Lower IQ
Did a study conclude that face mask wearers have a lower IQ? No, that's not true: This is a satirical claim published on a website that trolls conservatives. The study is fictional. Lead Stories does not fact check satire, but we published thi
Full Fact→ Layla Moran’s child malnutrition figures are wrong
There seem to be several serious problems with a widely shared report on child malnutrition in the Observer, which was based on Freedom of Information (FoI) requests collated by the Liberal Democrat leadership candidate, Layla Moran. The original artic
Full Fact→ This letter claiming to be from a doctor in Surrey is full of errors
A letter shared widely on social media, claiming to be from a doctor based at a Surrey hospital, makes numerous claims about the Covid-19 pandemic, including that doctors are not wearing masks, hospitals are empty, and that there is “no pandemic&
Health Feedback→ Primary COVID-19 transmission is by close contact with infected people; nasopharyngeal swab-based testing provides the highest diagnostic accuracy
REVIEW Facebook posts published in July 2020, such as this meme, questioned the need for nasopharyngeal sample collection in which “they have to stick a Q-tip through your nose to the back of your head to swab a sample of COVID” when it would be