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.
A meme circulating on Facebook wrongly attributes a statement about guns to former President Ronald Reagan. The quote is actually from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, co-authors of The Communist Manifesto.
A social media meme inaccurately claims that Walmart will no longer sell rifles. Walmart stopped selling “military-style rifles such as the AR-15,” in 2015, and has announced it will no longer sell ammunition for “military-style weapons.” It still sells “long guns for hunting and sport shooting.”
A 1978 photo of a Somalian army recruit has been misidentified on social media as Rep. Ilhan Omar, who wasn’t born until 1982.
Viral posts on social media make the baseless claim that the shooter in Odessa, Texas, had a sticker on his car for Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. The Texas Department of Public Safety said there was no sticker on the car he was driving during the attack.
Viral social media posts wrongly suggest that President Donald Trump’s three eldest children are citizens only because of birthright citizenship.
A fake tweet circulating online attributes a made-up statement about hurricane preparation to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
A website that describes its content as satire posted a story falsely claiming that Malia Obama was arrested at Harvard University. She wasn’t, but that story has been copied by other sites and shared as though it’s true.
An old clip from a cable news show has been misrepresented by a dubious website to make the false claim that the program’s anchor prayed “for every American to suffer just so Trump won’t get re-elected.”
Facebook users expressed outrage over a statement that is falsely attributed to Sen. Kamala Harris. The quote — about seeking “vengeance” against supporters of President Donald Trump — originated on a website that calls its work satire.
A viral social media post falsely claims that former President Barack Obama “separated” many more children at the border than President Donald Trump.