Fact Check |

War of narratives: Syrian imagery falsely illustrates Gaza

Published on 29/12/2023 at 20:59

A video of bloodied Syrian school children shrieking after an explosion was misrepresented online as an atrocity in Gaza, throwing a spotlight on a disinformation trend researchers say dehumanises victims of both wars.

Nikki Haley targeted by false weather manipulation claims before Iowa caucuses

Updated on 12/01/2024 at 22:37

Taiwan campaign clip misleadingly shared as 'KMT supporters endorsing opposing candidate'

Published on 11/01/2024 at 09:40

Israel-Hamas war

Misleading barcode claims resurface amid calls for boycott of Israeli goods

Updated on 12/01/2024 at 11:00

The ongoing war in Gaza has led to calls by some nations for a boycott of Israeli services and goods. This in turn has resurfaced claims that barcodes reveal a product's country of origin. A Facebook post shared thousands of times alleges that the prefix “729” in a barcode confirms that an item was made in Israel. But this is misleading: the number indicates that a firm registered its product with the Israeli member organisation of GS1, the nonprofit that issues company prefixes for barcodes globally. GS1 told AFP Fact Check that companies can register with any of 116 member organisations around the world, regardless of where they are based or where they manufacture their products.

Old explosion clips from Lebanon, China falsely portrayed as scenes from Gaza war

Updated on 09/01/2024 at 09:29

Old Canada clip falsely linked to protests against Gaza war

Published on 08/01/2024 at 07:27

WAR IN UKRAINE

Online claims misrepresent White House remarks on Ukraine military aid

Updated on 10/01/2024 at 18:53

President Joe Biden requested an emergency $106 billion package including aid for Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion along with funding for Israel in its war with Hamas and US border security. Some social media users claim Biden threatened to send troops to fight Russia if Congress did not approve the additional provisions; this misrepresents the administration's remarks on the response required if Russian forces were to move into North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) territory.

Fake Zelensky US naturalization certificate spreads online

Published on 02/01/2024 at 21:18

New York billboard with messages on Israel, Ukraine is fake

Published on 15/11/2023 at 20:13

COVID-19

British Columbia decision on Covid rapid tests misinterpreted online

Published on 12/01/2024 at 21:55

Interior Health in the Canadian province of British Columbia announced it is discontinuing rapid antigen tests for diagnosing Covid-19 in its facilities, but social media posts claiming this proves the tests do not work are misleading. The health authority and physicians say that while false negatives can occur, the tests provide generally accurate positive results.

Posts misrepresent legal proceedings against Italian officials over vaccines

Published on 09/01/2024 at 21:51

Covid vaccine misinformation resurfaces after China's winter surge in respiratory illnesses

Published on 05/01/2024 at 10:33

War of narratives: Syrian imagery falsely illustrates Gaza

Nikki Haley targeted by false weather manipulation claims before Iowa caucuses