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These videos show victims of a gas leak at a chemical plant in India in May 2020

Published on 13 May 2020 at 08:00

Three videos have been viewed tens of thousands of times in multiple posts on Facebook alongside a claim they show people who died after contracting the novel coronavirus in India. The claim is false; the videos show the victims of a major gas leak at a chemical plant in India in May 2020.

Misleading posts falsely claim that the first vaccine was developed under the Ottoman Empire

Published on 12 May 2020 at 11:00

Multiple posts shared hundreds of times on Facebook claim that the world’s first vaccine was developed under the Ottoman Empire, citing a letter written in 1717 by Lady Mary Montagu, wife of a British envoy in Constantinople. The claim is misleading; the first vaccine was introduced in 1798 by British physician Edward Jenner, according to multiple historical records; the medical procedure prior to that was known as “variolation” or “inoculation”.

‘Plandemic’ video peddles falsehoods about COVID-19

Published on 12 May 2020 at 02:18Updated on 18 May 2020 at 23:38

“Plandemic” -- a slickly-edited, 26-minute interview with a discredited researcher -- has been widely shared on social media. But the video, which YouTube and Facebook are working to remove for violating content standards, contains multiple false or misleading claims, including about the novel coronavirus, experts say.

This is a doctored photo -- the original image has circulated in reports about a Saudi policeman

Published on 11 May 2020 at 06:20

An image of a person sitting near Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia, has been shared repeatedly in multiple posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and on online blogs. It was shared alongside a claim it shows a lone cleaner who was the only person permitted to sit around the Kaaba during the coronavirus lockdown. The claim is false; the photo has been doctored to remove two people standing near the Kaaba; the original image has circulated in media reports about a Saudi policeman praying at the Islamic shrine.

This video shows a street in Dubai after authorities eased coronavirus lockdown measures

Published on 9 May 2020 at 11:40

A video of a street parade has been viewed tens of thousands of times in multiple posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube alongside a claim it shows people celebrating the end of a coronavirus lockdown in Saudi Arabia. The claim is false; the video was filmed in Dubai; the footage corresponds with media reports about residents celebrating on the streets after Dubai authorities eased 24-hour quarantine measures in two districts.