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 …
Does Facebook Deem Images of 9/11 Offensive and Prohibit Them? Read More »
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 …
Does a ‘Leaked’ British Intelligence Document Prove Trump Wiretapping Claims? Read More »
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: …
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 …
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 …
On April 15 2019, a Facebook user shared images and a status update (archived here) about purported deadly flooding in Mozambique after a huge cyclone ripped through southeastern Africa: The text shared with the photographs said: Did yall know that Mozambique, Africa has been flooding for over 2wks now and at least 1,000. are pronounced dead?? …
On April 24 2019, a Facebook user shared the following status (archived here), claiming that a Snapchat sex trafficking ring was operating in Lawrence, Massachusetts: So there’s a sex trafficking ring going on in Lawrence Mass. If you get a random person who tries adding you on Snapchat this morning and it says “added by …
Is There a Snapchat Sex Trafficking Ring in Lawrence, Massachusetts? Read More »
In April 2019, the following image started to make the rounds on Imgur, with the original poster claiming in the caption that “the elders at my brother-in-law’s church” (Christian Life International, or CLI) unwittingly produced a lewd shirt for its softball team: The user claimed: [Christian Life International “elders”] thought “CLI” (Christian Life International) alone wouldn’t …
Christian Life International Softball Shirt Design Read More »
On March 24 2019, the Facebook page “TRUCK ECM” shared the following image (archived here); a caption described the moments purportedly leading up to the collision: The photograph showed an eighteen-wheeler that had crushed a smaller vehicle, and the caption read: This should be the image stuck in your head anytime you think about whipping …
An August 2018 meme purportedly quoting Alfred Hitchcock on a “cure for fascism” (archived here) remains popular on Facebook. A description that often appears with the meme suggests that Hitchcock’s “fascism” message occurred “back when celebrities didn’t give a shit about what people thought.” Three images of Hitchcock handling bullets and a gun are captioned: …
