April 2019 saw the culmination of a months-long popular uprising in the country of Sudan, when its former president Omar al-Bashir stepped down from his post. The Sudanese military quickly took control of the country in what it called a transitional phase. In the weeks following al-Bashir’s ouster, however, clashes became both deadlier and more …
Scams and Hoax Accounts Proliferate on Instagram Read More »
On June 2 2019, the Facebook page “Pawz” shared the following post (archived here), tugging on readers’ heartstrings by claiming that the photograph represented routine daily euthanizations in an average shelter: A caption implied that the dogs were recently euthanized in the United States: Take a good, hard look at this picture. This is just …
Does an Image Show Dogs Euthanized in a Single Day in an Average American Shelter? Read More »
On May 10 2019, the Facebook page “Therapy Dogs Give Love” shared the following image and plea (archived here), claiming Facebook was donating $1 for every share of an image of a puppy with a “tumor”: Alongside an image of a black dog with an avocado in its mouth, the page wrote: For every time …
Is Facebook Donating $1 for Every Share Towards a Puppy’s Tumor? Read More »
On May 3 2019, @CNYcentral shared the following tweet featuring a photograph of a shoe with a claim that the colors in which it appeared to render revealed whether a reader is either “left-brained” or “right-brained”: In the tweet @CNYcentral claimed that if “the right-half of your brain is dominant, you will see a combination …
Do the Colors You See in a Photograph Reveal Left or Right Brain Dominance? Read More »
Over a quarter of a million Facebook users have shared a purported giveaway shared by the page “Santorini Holidays” (archived here) in April 2019. A featured album of (admittedly beautiful) pictures is captioned as follows: We’re going to celebrate our Grand Opening by doing something special for you. We’re going to be rewarding someone who …
A long-circulating Facebook status meme of indeterminate claims that typing #911 in a comment will generate a green line or green bar, confirming that the user commenting is “not a snitch.” Variations of the meme (which date back to March 2016) tend to operate as “engagement bait” — or, to be more precise in this …
On January 7, 2019, the Facebook page “Animals & Nature” shared a seemingly wholesome plea on the part of the purported poster’s 100-year-old grandma: Alongside the purported centenarian’s image, a caption pleaded: Today’s is my Grandma’s 100th Birthday. She requested me to post her pic on Internet to get some good wishes. [heart emoji, angel …
Does This Grandma Want You to Share Her Photo to Mark Her 100th Birthday? Read More »
