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 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.
A thoroughly debunked hoax claiming that Instagram users can stop the platform from using their pictures if they post a statement rescinding permission has been circulating again. This time, it ensnared a member of the Trump administration.
Facebook posts erroneously attribute a quote to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. He didn’t say that “there are no mass shootings in Japan because there are no video games there.”
Robert Sweet, a federal judge who was overseeing a civil case against Jeffrey Epstein, was not “killed,” as a headline claims, nor did he die in August, as other recently published stories suggest. Sweet died of natural causes in March at age 96.
A viral meme on Facebook falsely claims that members of Congress have received a “231%” increase in pay in the last 30 years. Automatic cost-of-living adjustments have resulted in an increase of 94.4% from 1989 to 2009.
A headline circulating on partisan websites distorts former President Barack Obama’s tweet advocating stricter gun laws in the wake of the most recent mass shootings.
A baseless claim that Attorney General William Barr visited the prison where accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was being held has been circulating online. But the sole source of that claim — a former mob associate — told us he has no idea if Barr went to the prison.