How COVID-19 Triggered a #SaveTheChildren Child Trafficking Panic
A surge of interest in child trafficking and the restricted #savethechildren hashtag isn’t organic — it was a subset of COVID-19 conspiracy theories in the summer of 2020.
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After ‘Defunding,’ Did Minneapolis Police Advise Residents to Give up Their Phones, Wallets, and Purses to Criminals?
A purported email from Minneapolis police mentioned 100 robberies and 20 carjackings in July 2020, advising residents to surrender their valuables to criminals.
Was a Colorado Man Arrested and Charged With Accidentally Shooting Fellow Protesters?
A viral Facebook post claims that a protester in Denver attempted to shoot at a vehicle, but accidentally wounded two people instead.
Are Uniformed Private Contractors Patrolling Portland and Snatching Protesters?
Escalating tensions and questions about individuals in military uniforms led to a Facebook rumor that Blackwater private contractors were in Portland, Oregon.
Is This Sgt. Rubino of the New Haven Police Department Using Excessive Force During June 2020 Protests?
A viral photograph appeared to be authentic but misrepresented in a viral Facebook post.
Did Carsyn Davis Die After Attending a ‘COVID Party’?
The untimely death of Florida teenager Carsyn Leigh Davis led to rumors that she had been intentionally infected at a First Youth Church “COVID party.”
‘Daughter of MLK and Coretta Scott King Posted This Advice as the Next Six Months are Going to Get Real’
In July 2020, a list containing advice attributed to Bernice King began circulating on Facebook.
Viral Post Blames Powdersville Cemetery Vandalism on ‘Black Lives Matter’
In early June 2020, markers were destroyed and spray painted with “BLM,” “George,” and “Floyd”; no suspects have yet been identified.
Is This a ‘Shooting Target’ Holding a Phone in the ‘Police Supply’ Section of a Gun Store in Lexington, Kentucky?
On first glance, a “shooting target” of a figure holding a mobile phone as if recording looks damning, but there’s a bit more context to the image.
‘Fireworks Every Night’ in June 2020
Before posts about “fireworks every night” went viral, people around the country in myriad cities were complaining of relentless, abnormally loud fireworks through early morning hours.