A not-so-fond look back at the worst viral deceptions of the year.
The Viral Spiral of 2018
Person: George Soros
Viral Meme Misidentifies Nazi Guard as Soros
Q: Is there a bogus viral meme circulating online that purports to show Holocaust survivor George Soros as a Nazi soldier?
A: It is bogus. The photo in the meme is of a Nazi guard who died earlier this year. It is not Soros.
No Evidence Soros Is Funding Immigrant ‘Caravan’
Q: Is George Soros paying Central Americans to immigrate to the U.S.?
A: That’s an unsubstantiated claim that began with a tweet from Rep. Matt Gaetz and then spread widely online.
Viral Photo Doesn’t Show Soros with Ford
Q: Is there a photo circulating online that shows Christine Blasey Ford with George Soros?
A: No. The woman featured in the viral photo with Soros isn’t Ford.
Does Ocasio-Cortez Have ‘Ties’ to Soros?
Q: Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tied to George Soros?
A: Not directly. Her campaign gained momentum from an interview she gave on an internet show that is supported, in part, by a nonprofit that received a grant from an organization that received funding from a Soros foundation.
Facebook Didn’t Hire George Soros
Q: Did Facebook hire George Soros “to remove ‘unwanted’ Conservative content from the platform to better regulate elections”?
A: No. A false story mischaracterizes Soros’ ties to the Atlantic Council, which has partnered with Facebook on an elections integrity project.
Weak Link in NFL Protest Story
Q: Has George Soros been paying NFL players to protest?
A: No. A story making that claim offers no evidence to support it.
No Russian Arrest Warrant for George Soros
Q: Has Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warrant for the arrest of George Soros?
A: No. That rumor has been circulating online for years in various forms.
Meme Falsely Claims We ‘Exposed’ Snopes.com
Q: Did FactCheck.org expose Snopes.com as an “extremely liberal propaganda site”?
A: No. That false claim was made in a meme circulating online.
Adam Schiff and George Soros Not In-Laws
Q: Is Rep. Adam Schiff’s sister married to the son of George Soros?
A: No. The congressman doesn’t even have a sister.