Claim: Hamas bombed and sank the American naval ship the USS Liberty killing 34 American crew members and wounding 171. Fact: The USS Liberty was attacked in 1967 by Israel, 20 years prior to the founding of Hamas. On 22 October 2024, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted (archive) about Hamas attacking the US […]
Claim: A video shows Pakistan Tehreek Insaf’s (PTI) rally at D-Chowk held earlier this month. Fact: The video is clearly AI-generated. On 5 October, X user @Abdulla_Alamadi posted a video (archive) apparently showing Pakistan Tehreek Insaf’s (PTI) supporters marching on a road to D-Chowk during a protest. The user wrote: “𝑫𝙊 𝙊𝑹 𝑫𝙄𝑬: The Pakistani […]
Claim: The Democratic National Convention had a low turnout and scattered crowds on night one. Fact: The clip showed the start of the convention when people were still arriving and the crowd was still filling in. Clips from later that night show a full arena. On 19 August 2024, X (formerly Twitter) account Clandestine posted […]
Claim: During the Democratic National Convention, presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s home state of California passed instead of voting to confirm her as the party’s official nominee for the presidential election. Fact: It is tradition for home states to pass their turn and instead vote to confirm at the end of the roll call. Additionally, Harris […]
Claim: ABC signed a $400 million deal with Tucker Carlson for a late-night show which will replace the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Fact: The ABC Network did not offer Carlson a deal. The news was first posted as satire and has no basis in reality. On 17 July 2024, multiple Facebook accounts posted pictures of the […]
Claim: Diego Maradona, loved Israel and prayed at the Kotel before each of his World Cups. Fact: Diego Maradona was a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and issued statements denouncing Israel’s actions in Palestine on several occasions. On 10 July 2024, world-famous rabbi Rabbi Shmuley Boteach posted a video on X in which he […]
Claim: Amitabh Bachchan passed away peacefully in Juhu, Mumbai. Fact: The actor has not passed away; he is currently promoting his movie Kalki 2898 AD. On 18 July 2024, Threads user @iqra_nawaz posted a black and white photo of Amitabh Bachchan, the photo included text that read, “Amitabh Bachan peacefully passed by a house today […]
Claim: EgyptAir flight 804 was found after it went missing 50 years ago. Fact: EgyptAir flight 804 crashed in 2016 and debris confirming the crash was found during an extensive investigation shortly following the incident. On 13 June 2024, the Facebook user “Arman’s Diary” posted a split image of passengers asleep on a flight and […]
Claim: Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and member of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) questioned the Pakistan military’s historic defeats during a National Assembly session on 23 June 2024. Fact: Khwaja Asif did not question the military for its losses in the National Assembly session. The 14-second clip has been dubbed with a different audio. […]
Claim: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has issued a notice rejecting financial documents from nine Pakistani banks and three English Language Tests as part of the visa application process. Fact: UKVI has made no such announcement. The viral notice is false and appears to be doctored. On 10 June 2024, X (formerly Twitter) user “Aurangzeb […]
Claim: A viral image shows former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi’s mother’s house, highlighting how she lived in “simplicity”. Fact: The image does not show Raisi’s mother or her home. In fact, the image is from 2016 and shows Raisi visiting residents from the impoverished areas of Mashhad, Iran. On 23 May 2024, Facebook user “Verified […]
Claim: A viral picture shows Prince William getting emotional while embracing Prince Harry over Kate Middleton’s dire health situation. Fact: The image is AI-generated. Moreover, the royal family has not issued any updates suggesting that Kate Middleton’s health is in serious condition. On 22 May 2024, a user on Facebook posted an image (archive) of […]