April 2019

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Is Twitter Withholding a ‘Nazi-Hunting’ Algorithm for Fear of Inadvertently Banning Republican Lawmakers?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

On April 25 2019, a Twitter user posted a claim that the social media platform possessed a “Nazi-hunting” algorithm, but opted not to employ it specifically because it would also filter the tweets or accounts of some Republican lawmakers: In a subsequent tweet, Allen cited Jewish Daily Forward as a source for the information, but the …

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Is Atlanta Urging People ‘Not to Dump Trash on White Supremacists’ Lawns’?

Fact Checks, Viral Content / By /

On April 29 2019, an image of a purported notice from the City of Atlanta urging residents “not to” dump trash on white supremacists’ lawns went viral: Although the above version was popular, other anti-fascist Twitter accounts shared the image — including at least one in Atlanta: An image of the poster also appeared on …

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Does This Picture Show a Tiny Crowd Ten Minutes Before Sen. Bernie Sanders’ April 2019 Houston Rally?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

On April 26 2019, Facebook page “The Trump Train” shared the following post (archived here), claiming that it showed a crowd of a few dozen people in Houston ten minutes before Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) was scheduled to speak: Across the top of an image of a few dozen people, the text read: 4/24/19 – Bernie’s …

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Does Facebook Deem Images of 9/11 Offensive and Prohibit Them?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

On April 1 2019, a Facebook user shared a photograph of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (archived here), claiming that the social media site “feels this photo is offensive and keeps removing it or hiding it”: Apparently Facebook feels this photo is offensive and keeps removing it or hiding it!! I am sharing …

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Does a ‘Leaked’ British Intelligence Document Prove Trump Wiretapping Claims?

Disinformation, Fact Checks, Politics / By /

In April 2019, in the days and weeks following the release of a heavily anticipated (and heavily redacted) Special Counsel’s report on interference into the 2016 United States presidential elections, rumors and speculation reinvigorated a March 2017 conspiracy theory that British intelligence spied on the Trump campaign for the Obama administration: President Trump provoked a rare public dispute with …

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Breast Milk Ducts

Fact Checks, Viral Content / By /

On April 21 2019 a Twitter user tweeted the following image, purportedly a photograph of muscles and milk ducts in breasts: The tweet spread far and fast, perhaps not the least of which because of its ability to evoke a specific visual phobia (trypophobia, a fear of small holes or repetitive patterns) in some users: …

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ‘Splits’ Image

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

On April 10 2019 a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), purportedly showing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doing what appears to be a particularly athletic dance move at a party: The post’s image showed Ocasio-Cortez being supported by an unidentified man holding her legs as she did the splits. Text at the top and bottom …

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Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict the Notre Dame Fire?

Disinformation, Fact Checks / By /

Among the many conspiracy theories around the Notre Dame Cathedral fire of April 15 2019 was the rumor that an episode ofThe Simpsons had predicted the blaze, continuing a rather peculiar pattern of stories around predictions made by the long-running and beloved cartoon series: A Facebook version of this particular shared on April 21 2019 (archived here) appeared to substantiate …

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