Category Archives: FactCheck.org

Quick Take A supply and demand imbalance, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, led to a surge in gasoline prices. But an online statement attributed to a supposed “BP Oil Executive” blames gasoline prices on U.S. dependence on foreign oil. BP told us the statement did not come from anyone at the company. Full Story Continue reading “Social Media Posts Falsely Attribute Statement on Gasoline Prices to Nonexistent ‘BP Oil Executive’”

Quick Take Israel has established strict measures in response to armed attacks on its schoolchildren. But social media posts falsely claim there have been “no school shootings in Israel” and use a photo to misleadingly suggest students carry weapons to class. Only guards and other specific personnel — not students — can carry arms inContinue reading “Students in Israel Don’t Carry Guns to Class, Contrary to Social Media Posts”

SciCheck Digest COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain microchips and have readily available ingredient lists. But social media posts use an old clip of the Pfizer CEO talking about an “electronic pill” to leave the false impression he was confirming a conspiracy theory about microchips in the vaccines. Full Story   The ingredient lists for the COVID-19 vaccines approved and authorized in theContinue reading “FDA-Approved ‘Electronic Pill’ Isn’t Evidence That COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Microchip’ Conspiracy Is ‘Proven’”

Quick Take Proposed legislation in Tennessee and Missouri would not regulate Plan B contraception pills, and experts say state “trigger laws” that would take effect if Roe v. Wade were overturned will not ban methods of birth control. But social media posts falsely claim that both states have banned Plan B – the morning-after pill. FullContinue reading “Plan B Pills Still Legal in Tennessee and Missouri, Contrary to Social Media Claims”

Quick Take   Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to buy Twitter was criticized by several prominent Democrats. But a social media post misleadingly claims Democrats didn’t speak out against companies buying out competitors and creating monopolies until Musk bought Twitter. Democrats have opposed monopoly power and encouraged competition for years.  Full Story    On April 25, Twitter’s board ofContinue reading “Post Misrepresents Democrats’ History of Opposing Platform Monopolies”

Quick Take During an event honoring teachers, President Joe Biden said students are “not somebody else’s children; they’re like yours when they’re in the classroom.” Biden’s words were misrepresented in the National Review, which inaccurately claimed Biden said children “don’t belong to parents” when they’re in the classroom. Full Story In recent months, there has been controversy overContinue reading “Article, RNC Tweet Distort Biden’s Comments on Teachers”

Quick Take John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Republican President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, was affiliated with the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party and was a supporter of slavery and the Confederacy. Social media posts claim without evidence that Booth was a Democrat. Full Story President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by the actor John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer andContinue reading “Posts Make Unfounded Claims About Political Affiliation of John Wilkes Booth”

Quick Take The Disney Company opposed Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, also referred to by critics as “Don’t Say Gay.” Disney’s actions sparked calls from conservatives for a boycott of Disney — and a flurry of unfounded or exaggerated claims on social media that the company was suffering declines in subscribers, visitors and stockContinue reading “Posts Spread Unfounded Claims About Disney Company’s Financial Health”

Quick Take  In a campaign ad, Josh Mandel, a Republican Senate candidate from Ohio, shared an image of himself as a Marine with a group of Black troops. Social media posts falsely claim that Mandel photoshopped his head onto the body of a Black Marine. The Mandel campaign denied the claim and provided the media withContinue reading “Josh Mandel Campaign Ad Was Not Photoshopped, Contrary to Social Media Posts”

Quick Take Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, a misleading photo posted March 22 on Facebook shows an American fighter jet intercepting a Russian bomber near Alaskan airspace. But the incident was not related to the current situation in Ukraine; the photo appeared in an article published in AeroContinue reading “Viral Photo of Russian Bomber Shows Incident from 2020”