Q: Did police officers “take a knee” and then “walk out on” the Washington Redskins?
A: No. That made-up story was first posted by a self-described satirical website last year.
Cops Kneeling: Still False, A Year Later
Debunking Viral Claims
FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on the social media network. We provide several resources for readers: a guide on how to flag suspicious stories on Facebook and a list of websites that have carried false or satirical articles, as well as a video and story on how to spot false stories.
Bogus Claim of Voter Fraud in Ohio
Q: Were there “major signs of voter fraud” in Ohio’s congressional special election?
A: No. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office says there have been no reports of voter fraud.
Stories Conflate Immigration Issues
Q: Did the Obama administration separate “72,410 Children From Their Families in 2013”?
A: That’s the number of immigrants removed that year who had U.S.-born children. But viral stories wrongly conflate removals with President Trump’s zero tolerance policy.
Unsupported Claim About Black Lives Matter Is Revived on Facebook
Q: Does a viral claim accusing Black Lives Matter activists of mugging a woman provide any evidence?
A: No, it doesn’t. The claim takes an actual story about a 2016 mugging and adds that unsupported accusation.
Jennifer Garner Supported Hillary Clinton
Q: Did actress Jennifer Garner say, “I’m joining Trump train”?
A: There is no evidence of that. Garner supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.
Noncitizens Get Narrow Access to Polls in San Francisco
Q: Has San Francisco given noncitizens “the right to vote in elections”?
A: Yes, but only in San Francisco school board elections and only for parents, guardians or legal caregivers of children in the city’s schools.
Mars, the Moon and a Fictional ‘Cosmic Event’
Q: Will Mars be “as big as the Moon” on July 27 for the first time in 35,000 years?
A: No. A viral story spreads a repeatedly debunked myth.
False Headline Revives Voter Fraud Claim
Q: Did Fox News reveal that President Obama rigged the 2016 election with “4 million illegal votes”?
A: No. That falsehood is based on a pre-election interview with an election lawyer who discussed the possibility of votes being cast on behalf of dead people.
No Evidence Lisa Page Blamed Hacking on China
Q: Did former FBI attorney Lisa Page tell House lawmakers that China, not Russia, was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee?
A: There’s no evidence of that. Page’s attorney said stories making that claim are “completely false” and that Page testified that the “evidence demonstrated Russian interference in the election.”
YourNewsWire Hawks False Fraud Headline
Q: Is the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, “facing fraud charges”?
A: No. Two separate cases accuse Puerto Rico officials of misusing government funds, but Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz isn’t involved.