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 joining antifa now illegal and “punishable by 15 years in prison”?
A: No. A headline on a website known for distorting news incorrectly describes a House bill. It has not become law and it would not make joining antifa illegal.
Q: Were the victims of a New Jersey home explosion tied to an investigation into the Clinton Foundation?
A: No. A viral conspiracy theory is spreading that claim without any evidence. Investigators told us they “found no evidence of foul play” and that the deaths were ruled “accidental.”
Q: Was Sen. Kamala Harris “lying” when she tweeted about integration in the Berkeley public schools?
A: No. The school district fully integrated in 1968, and Harris began attending public school in first grade, in 1970.
Q: Did Facebook hire George Soros “to remove ‘unwanted’ Conservative content from the platform to better regulate elections”?
A: No. A false story mischaracterizes Soros’ ties to the Atlantic Council, which has partnered with Facebook on an elections integrity project.
Q: Did The New York Times say in 1984 that Donald Trump would be “our best president”?
A: No. That year The New York Times published a magazine story featuring Trump’s early success as a businessman, not his political potential.
Q: Did the front-runner in the presidential race in Mexico call for an “invasion” of migrants to the U.S.?
A: No. Andrés Manuel López Obrador pledged to “defend migrants … who of necessity have to leave their villages.”
Q: Was Clare Bronfman an aide to Hillary Clinton — and was she indicted for child sex trafficking?
A: No. A false story is based on speculation that Bronfman could be indicted in relation to an alleged sex cult. But she never worked for Clinton.
Q: Did Sandra Bullock say, “Donald Trump is doing everything to improve our nation”?
A: No. There is no record of the actress ever making that comment, and her publicist says Bullock never said that.
Q: Did Sen. Bernie Sanders say that Christianity is an insult to Muslims?
A: He didn’t say that. He criticized a statement made by a presidential nominee as Islamophobic.
Q: Did Rhode Island pass a bill “to keep Trump off the 2020 ballot”?
A: No. Only one chamber passed a bill to require presidential candidates to disclose their federal tax returns.