Viral text posts are advancing the groundless claim that George Floyd’s arrest and death in Minneapolis were “staged” to incite “racial tensions.” But they offer no evidence to support that conspiracy theory.
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.
Minneapolis Police License Plate Doesn’t Raise a ‘False Flag’
Viral Photos Don’t Show Minneapolis Officer in Floyd Case
Year-Old Biden Spoof Emerges Anew
COVID-19 Isn’t Caused by Bacteria
Obama’s Criticism Didn’t Set a Presidential Precedent
Posts Spread Fake Trump Memorial Day Tweet
Fauci Didn’t Invent, Won’t Profit from Remdesivir
A viral social media post falsely claims Dr. Anthony Fauci is “pushing” remdesivir as a potential COVID-19 treatment drug, because he “invented” it with Bill Gates and they stand to profit from it. Remdesivir was invented by the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, which receives any profit from sales of the drug as a treatment for COVID-19.
Flu Shot Doesn’t Cause False Positive Results for COVID-19
A viral claim on Facebook erroneously tells users that “you will test positive” for COVID-19 if “you’ve gotten flu shots during the past ten years.” Vaccine and infectious disease experts told us that’s false, and the Food and Drug Administration says this hasn’t been observed in any authorized tests.