Q: Did former President Barack Obama announce he’s seeking the U.N. secretary general position?
A: No. There was no announcement. Obama’s office has said a story claiming otherwise is false.
No Obama Announcement on U.N. Post
Debunking Viral Claims
These articles debunk misinformation shared on social media. We also provide resources for readers: an article and a video on how to combat misinformation.
From late 2016 to early 2025, FactCheck.org was one of several organizations working with Meta to debunk misinformation shared on Meta’s social media platforms.
Facebook Not Giving Kochs User Data
Q: Is Facebook planning to give Charles and David Koch “unprecedented access” to users’ personal information?
A: No. A story making that claim misrepresents a research initiative that is being funded by seven organizations including the Charles Koch Foundation.
Bogus Story on Cohen Raid
Q: Did a federal judge rule that evidence collected from Michael Cohen’s office is inadmissible?
A: No. That claim was invented by a website that labels its content as satire.
No Trump-Ordered ‘Raid’ on Muslim Community
Q: Did President Trump order a raid on Islamberg, New York, that uncovered weapons?
A: No. A false story from 2017 links the Muslim community to an unrelated arrest of a man on weapons charges.
Another Bogus Parkland Conspiracy Theory
Q: Does searching an obituary website prove that there were no shooting deaths at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14?
A: No. A website falsely suggests that there were no deaths because the victims’ obituaries couldn’t be found on one particular site.
Hyped Headline Turns Paint Into Terror
Q: Was the first family attacked by a terrorist during the Easter holiday weekend?
A: No. That’s a misrepresentation of an act of vandalism at Trump International Golf Club.
Gun Control March Not Planned ‘Months’ Ago
Q: Was a permit application for the March for Our Lives rally filed “several months” before the event on March 24?
A: No. A Washington, D.C., police officer erroneously used that language in an email exchange. Officials say the permits were requested in late February.
David Hogg at School During Parkland Shooting
Q: Was David Hogg at home during the February school shooting in Florida?
A: No. Hogg recorded videos from inside the school during the shooting and a teacher confirmed that he was there at the time.
Viral NASA Story Gets Science Wrong
Q: Is NASA “spraying Americans with lithium and other chemicals”?
A: No. The space agency uses such materials, which are also used in fireworks, in the upper atmosphere – way above where planes fly. Experts say it’s “extremely unlikely” even “a minute amount” would reach Earth’s surface.
Emma Stone Didn’t Commend Trump
Q: Did Emma Stone say, “America made a great choice with Donald Trump”?
A: No. There is no record of the actress ever making that comment, or others attributed to her in the same story.