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.
Q: Is the newly elected mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, a Muslim and did he cancel “government involvement” in Christmas?
A: No. Ravinder Bhalla is a Sikh, not a Muslim, and he hasn’t instituted such a ban. He won’t even take office until Jan. 1, 2018.
Q: Has the U.S. Supreme Court issued a warrant for the arrest of one of Barack Obama’s treasury secretaries?
A: No. The person named in a fictional story doesn’t even exist.
Q: Was the man who killed more than two dozen people in a rural Texas church trying to start a civil war as a member of antifa?
A: No. Law enforcement officials believe the mass shooting was motivated by a family dispute, and they are not investigating it as an act of terrorism.
Q: Did a judge in Montana rule that a “Muslim man can marry 9-year-old girl”?
A: No. The couple in the “wedding” photo are actually actors who were part of an advocacy group’s campaign to fight child marriage in Lebanon.
Q: Is the Department of Defense planning a drill that will cause a nationwide blackout? Is antifa involved?
A: No and no. The Army is conducting a drill with ham radio operators, and it has nothing to do with antifa.
Q: Did Hillary Clinton leave “the country as Mueller Indictment is announced”?
A: No. She was in the U.S. all weekend.
Q: Has Robert Mueller resigned as the special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election?
A: No. He is still in charge of that investigation and has no plans to leave.
Q: Were two Democratic congressmen arrested for having ties to the Islamic State?
A: No. The two congressmen named in a fake news story don’t exist.
Q: Is Congress considering a bill that would allow police to track “all Americans” with microchips?
A: No. A popular story on Facebook distorts the implications of proposed legislation to help locate missing Alzheimer’s patients and autistic children.
Q: Was an “illegal alien” arrested for starting the wildfires that have ravaged northern California?
A: No. The arrest was not related to the wildfires.