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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Video Misrepresents the Science Behind Face Masks

Video Misrepresents the Science Behind Face Masks

A viral video misrepresents scientific papers and the reasons for wearing face masks to claim that they are ineffective in mitigating transmission of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that masks may help prevent the spread of the disease.

COVID-19 Testing Truck Logo Depicts an Aardvark, Not Death Deity

COVID-19 Testing Truck Logo Depicts an Aardvark, Not Death Deity

A popular post on social media pages for conspiracy theorists claims that a mobile COVID-19 testing station bears a logo that depicts an ancient deity of death. It actually shows an aardvark, which is the name of the company that designs and manufactures the trucks.

Video Falsely Stokes Concerns About Voting in Louisiana Primary

Video Falsely Stokes Concerns About Voting in Louisiana Primary

A viral video falsely labeled “Registered Republican Not Allowed to Vote!” suggests that Republicans were kept from voting in Louisiana’s recent primary. The person featured in the video — which has been viewed millions of times — was actually registered as a Democrat, so she couldn’t vote in the closed Republican primary.

Meme Misconstrues Efficacy of Face Masks in Spread of COVID-19

Meme Misconstrues Efficacy of Face Masks in Spread of COVID-19

A meme suggesting that face masks are useless against COVID-19 has been circulating online. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a face covering in public since the virus is transmitted mostly through droplets produced when people cough, sneeze and talk.

Fake AOC Tweet Politicizes COVID-19 Business Restrictions

Fake AOC Tweet Politicizes COVID-19 Business Restrictions

A fabricated tweet attributed to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez advocates extending COVID-19 restrictions on businesses “until after the November Elections.” There is no evidence Ocasio-Cortez sent the bogus tweet, which was shared — and later deleted — by a Florida congressional candidate and a Fox News host.

Viral Photo Misidentified as Trump Tulsa Crowd

Viral Photo Misidentified as Trump Tulsa Crowd

Social media accounts supportive of President Donald Trump have been sharing a photo of a large outdoor crowd with the false claim that it shows the scene outside of Trump’s Tulsa rally. It actually shows the Rolling Thunder event near Washington, D.C. in 2019.

Trump Campaign Didn’t Advertise for ‘MINORITY Actors’ in Tulsa

Trump Campaign Didn’t Advertise for ‘MINORITY Actors’ in Tulsa

Posts on social media cite an anonymous Craigslist ad to support the false claim that President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is seeking “MINORITY Actors” to hold signs at his June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Trump campaign says it didn’t post the ad, and Craigslist has removed it.

Meme Spreads Wrong Photo, Details in Floyd Criminal Case

Meme Spreads Wrong Photo, Details in Floyd Criminal Case

A meme misrepresents a 2007 criminal case in Houston involving George Floyd. The meme distorts the details of Floyd’s case and includes a photo of a woman who was badly injured in an unrelated attack in Spain in 2018.

Bogus Claims of ‘Crisis Actors’ in Death of George Floyd

Bogus Claims of ‘Crisis Actors’ in Death of George Floyd

False claims that nearly everyone involved in George Floyd’s death — including Floyd — are “crisis actors” have spread widely online. But the pictures that supposedly prove this theory actually show unrelated people.