Claim:A viral TikTok video authentically shows weevils and mites infesting an Oreo cookie when seen through a microscope. Rating: What’s True The video shows no evidence of digital manipulation, and the weevils and mites it depicts are authentic pests commonly found in some types of food. However … What’s False Some features of the video, … Read more
Claim: A lake in Finland is shaped like Finland itself. Rating: Context The lake is not natural, and it was explicitly designed to look like the shape of Finland. Social media accounts and websites dedicated to quirky travel content often share an image of a small body of water — Lake Neitokainen — that appears … Read more
Claim: A photo authentically showed Dolly Parton without her signature makeup. Rating: In 2023, a split-screen image circulated on the social media platform Pinterest, purportedly featuring two photographs of country music icon Dolly Parton. Shown below, the photo on the right featured the singer’s recognizably glamorous look of platinum-blond wig and full face of makeup, while … Read more
Claim: In 1998, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton paid Paula Jones $850,000 in hush money. Rating: On May 30, 2024, the criminal trial against former U.S. President Donald Trump over his hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ended when the jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. For some social media … Read more
Claim: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy purchased a casino resort in Cyprus in May 2024. Rating: In early June 2024, accounts on X began sharing the claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — at the height of his country’s fight against Russian military occupation — purchased a resort in Cyprus named the Vuni Palace Casino Resort … Read more
Claim: Geppetto, the woodcarver in “The Adventures of Pinocchio” who created a walking, talking puppet out of wood, was actually a slave owner who built Pinocchio out of slaves’ body parts. Rating: On May 14, 2024, a rumor went viral on X, claiming that the original Geppetto (misspelled in the posts) — the woodcarver in “The … Read more
Claim: Real members of the Mafia were involved in the making of 1972 film “The Godfather.” Rating: In early 2024, a post on X went viral with a claim that real members of organized crime were involved in the making of the 1972 movie “The Godfather.” “The mob actively followed the actors and actresses around and … Read more
Claim: An April 2024 Facebook post authentically announced a third season of the Netflix show “Mindhunter.” Rating: On April 23, 2024, a Facebook post by YODA BBY ABY claimed to announce a third season of “Mindhunter,” a Netflix show about FBI agents delving into the psychology of murder. The post contained an image of cast members … Read more
