AFP México

This tweet about mass shootings needs to define the term

Published on 19 August 2019 at 23:48

A viral tweet comparing mass shootings perpetrated in various countries since the beginning of 2019 continues to be shared across social media since the August 4 shooting in Dayton, Ohio. The original tweet pointed out that the United States experienced 249 mass shootings, while countries like Brazil only suffered one. This is misleading. The definition of a mass shooting for the US data includes gang related violence, which it does not for other countries, experts told AFP.

2006 fine against California fencing company resurfaces in misleading meme

Published on 31 July 2019 at 18:18

A Facebook post shared tens of thousands of times recounts a $5-million fine levied against the Golden State Fence Company for hiring employees who were not legally allowed to work in the United States. The company was fined by the government, but the hiring infractions date back to 1999 and the fine was handed down in 2006, years prior to US President Donald Trump’s campaign to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

No, these cars did not melt due to hot weather

Published on 28 June 2019 at 05:10

A photo of two partially melted cars has been shared hundreds of times in multiple Facebook posts that claim hot weather in Saudi Arabia caused the vehicles to melt. Other misleading posts combine the same photo with claims it shows the result of hot weather in other locations, or a forest fire. All the claims are false; the cars were melted by heat from a construction site fire in the US city of Tucson in June 2018.

No, this is not a genuine photo of a woman who gave birth to 17 babies

Published on 24 June 2019 at 07:40

Multiple Facebook posts have shared a composite photo featuring two images, one of a heavily-pregnant woman and one of a man surrounded by babies, alongside a claim that the woman has set a new world record by giving birth to 17 boys. The claim is false; the story originated on a satirical website; one of the images has been doctored and the other image is being used out of context; the world record for most children delivered at a single birth to survive is eight, held by American “octomom” Nadya Suleman.

No, the dog in this photo did not dig a hole ‘to be close to its deceased owner’

Published on 18 June 2019 at 11:00

A photo of a dog in a graveyard has been shared hundreds of thousands of times in online posts that claim the animal dug a hole to be close to its dead owner. The claim is false; the photo shows a street dog in Serbia that dug into the ground to have a warm place to give birth. Other photos show the same dog sheltering there with its puppies; they were later rescued.

Languages