Claim: A video shows the rocket by SpaceX creating a hole in the ionosphere, proving the Quran right as a verse in the Quran says: “And we have made the sky a roof withheld still they turn away from its signs” (21:32) Fact: The video actually shows the second SpaceX test-flight of their two-stage rocket, […]
Claim: Recent internet disruptions in Pakistan are not being caused by any kind of firewall installation or ‘web management system’ upgradation. And the UK and US also have a firewall similar to the one being installed in Pakistan right now. Fact: Several digital rights advocates, journalists and international organisations have reported internet disruptions in Pakistan […]
Claim: 50 new green buses have been acquired and have arrived in Quetta, Balochistan. Fact: The provincial government has approved the acquisition of nine green buses, as part of “People’s Bus Service Quetta & Turbat,” under the 2024-2025 Public Sector Development Programme. On 30 September, a Facebook page Quetta Capital News (archive) falsely claimed: […]
Claim: China’s ultra high-speed maglev train is “coming soon” to Pakistan and will reduce the travelling time between Islamabad and Karachi to 1.5 hours. Fact: There are no reports in any reputable media outlet about the maglev being launched in Pakistan. The T-Flight train is still in the development and testing phase and has not […]
Claim: Video shows state of the art train transporting children directly into their homes in China. Fact: The video was likely created using artificial intelligence or special effects, and it has no connection to reality. On 6 August, an Instagram user “molly_____travel” posted a video (archive) apparently showing an advanced bullet train, transporting a child […]
Claim: A viral message warns Pakistani people against conducting any online transactions as ATMs will remain closed for the next two to three days after a ransomware cyberattack in the country. It advises people not to open a video clip called the “Dance of the Hillary,” which is a virus that wipes one’s mobile phone […]
Claim: A viral video shows a man walking into an elevator with an e-bike battery, which almost instantly bursts into flames, causing an explosion inside the lift. In the latter half of the video, the same man can be seen being dragged out of the elevator, unconscious and almost completely covered with burn marks. Fact: […]
Claim: Elon Musk alleged that Google has banned searches for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, preventing users from finding relevant results when searching for Trump’s name. Fact: Musk’s assertion is false. Donald J Trump can be searched on Google in the United States of America; his name has not been banned. On 29 July 2024, […]
Claim: Fiverr has been banned in Pakistan. Fact: Fiverr has not been banned, nor has it suspended its services in Pakistan. The platform briefly flagged some Pakistani freelancers’ accounts in August 2024, owing to the ongoing Internet slowdown, but a company spokesperson has confirmed that most of them “have now returned to normal”. On 15 […]
Claim: X is making users’ bookmarked posts visible to the public. Fact: Bookmarks remain private and only viewable to the user themselves, according to X’s Help Centre. There are no verifiable reports of the platform making such an announcement. On 7 July 2024, user @DropPopNet alleged (archive) that X, the social media platform formerly known […]
Claim: Google has removed Palestine from its Google Maps application amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Fact: The claim is false as Palestine was never labelled on Google Maps. The application’s map only included the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with a dotted grey line indicating their borders. On 14 June 2024, Threads user @raja_official3248 posted […]
Claim: A female American soldier is looking to connect with people online on Threads. Fact: The image of the female American soldier is AI-generated. On 12 May 2024, a Threads account shared an image of an American female soldier with the caption: “Hello, Lets chat on Instagram”. Receiving more than 17,800 views and hundreds of […]