Facebook Twitter Tumblr Close Skip to main content
A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Posts Mislead on Biden’s Response to Texas Emergency

Posts Mislead on Biden’s Response to Texas Emergency

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Texas after a winter storm began wreaking havoc, and held a call with its governor as the state experienced power outages. But Facebook posts misleadingly claim there has not been “one word” on the emergency from Biden.

Video Airs False, Misleading Claims About Face Masks

Video Airs False, Misleading Claims About Face Masks

Evidence of the efficacy of face masks to help control the spread of the novel coronavirus has grown since the start of the pandemic. But a Facebook video uses false and misleading claims to tell viewers that masks are “unsafe” and “ineffective.”

OAN Report Features Baseless Assertion of Election Fraud by Algorithm

OAN Report Features Baseless Assertion of Election Fraud by Algorithm

One America News Network recently spotlighted one man’s analysis that wrongly suggests precinct-level voting data in Georgia proved a computer algorithm was used to swing the election to President Joe Biden. A hand tally of paper ballots confirmed the election outcome, one of many indications the claim is false.

MyPillow CEO’s Video Rehashes Debunked Election Fraud Claims

MyPillow CEO’s Video Rehashes Debunked Election Fraud Claims

A two-hour video, claiming to prove that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump, has been viewed tens of thousands of times online and aired on the cable channel One America News Network. But the video rehashes baseless conspiracy theories and debunked claims.

Headlines Distort the Facts on CDC Mask Order

Headlines Distort the Facts on CDC Mask Order

Headlines shared on social media distort the facts of a recent order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that mandates face masks be worn on public transportation. The order doesn’t require that individuals wear two masks. CDC guidance issued with the order does say that cloth masks should be made of at least two layers.

Posts Falsely Tie Myanmar Election to Dominion Voting Systems

Posts Falsely Tie Myanmar Election to Dominion Voting Systems

Social media posts falsely claim that the November election in Myanmar was conducted using Dominion Voting Systems, the company that was the focus of bogus theories about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The company said its systems aren’t used in Myanmar, and there’s no indication that the country uses any voting machines.

Meme Misleads on Early Actions by Biden

Meme Misleads on Early Actions by Biden

A meme purports to list actions taken by President Joe Biden in his “first 48 hours” in office — but most of the points are misleading or wrong. For example, the purported tax changes are proposals — some of which need additional context — and would require legislation before they can be implemented.

Viral Posts Distort WHO Guidance on COVID-19 Tests

Viral Posts Distort WHO Guidance on COVID-19 Tests

Dubious websites and viral posts falsely claim that the World Health Organization changed COVID-19 testing protocols for political reasons following Joe Biden’s inauguration and admitted that false-positive cases had been inflating the case count. The WHO’s guidance merely reminded labs to follow instructions provided by each test’s manufacturer.

Missing Context on Claim About ‘Antifa.com’

Missing Context on Claim About ‘Antifa.com’

Social media posts point out that the web address antifa.com now redirects to the White House website. That’s true, but in need of some important context: Whoever owns a domain name can instruct it to reroute to whichever website they’d like.

Trump Left Biden a ‘Generous’ Note

Trump Left Biden a ‘Generous’ Note

Former President Donald Trump left a note for President Joe Biden, contrary to a popular claim online suggesting that he did not. Biden confirmed he received a letter, which he called “generous,” but did not disclose its contents.