Accurate information is the foundation of a functioning democracy
A worldwide network of scientists sorting fact from fiction.
Our goal is to empower readers to discern trustworthy news.
Insights
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Environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry outweigh those of EV metal mining, experts say
Nearly one in five new vehicles sold around the world in 2023 was an electric vehicle (EV), up from around…
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Humans do not have the technology to manipulate hurricanes
Hurricanes are extraordinarily powerful storms. Our current weather modification methods, which usually involve cloud seeding, cannot create or redirect hurricanes.
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Anti-vaccine claims about the Alexis Lorenze case mislead on vaccine risks
This report highlights the questionable rapidity with which Lorenze’s illness was attributed to vaccines by anti-vaccine activists. As a fuller examination of the available evidence shows, it is challenging to reliably establish vaccines as the sole cause of her condition.
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Recent Reviews
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MisleadingLow amounts of fluoride added to community water not associated with neurotoxicity, contrary to online claims
Claim:
Fluoride is a neurotoxin; community water fluoridation is associated with lower IQ in children
Source: Facebook, Social media users, 2024-10-19 -
InaccurateHigh blood cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular death; statins are safe and effectively reduce this risk
Claim:
“Nobody has ever died from high cholesterol”; “people die from the statin drugs that they give you for high cholesterol”
Source: Facebook, YouTube, Alexander Hickman (aka Yahki Rapha Elohim), 2024-10-10 -
UnsupportedThermograms and breast self-exams aren’t adequate substitutes for mammograms
Claim:
Breast self-examinations and thermograms are adequate mammogram substitutes
Source: Facebook, Social media users, 2024-10-01 -
InaccurateMislabeled and manipulated videos of natural disasters go viral amidst recent hurricane activity
Claim:
Recent footage is real and shows accurately-labeled natural disasters, such as tornadoes and storms that occurred from Hurricane Milton.
Source: TikTok, Facebook, Social media users, 2024-10-11 -
InaccurateOnline posts encouraging the use of Vicks VapoRub inside the vagina are unsubstantiated and dangerous
Claim:
Applying Vicks VapoRub to the vagina “stops bladder leaks”, removes parasites
Source: Facebook, Social media users, 2024-10-09 -
IncorrectHAARP cannot produce the colorful auroras seen around the world; their power pales in comparison to geomagnetic storms
Claim:
October 2024 auroras were caused by the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP)
Source: Facebook, Social media users, 2024-10-11
Analyses & Investigations
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Twitter/X fails to act on Doppelganger-related notices
it appears that X has left the network almost completely untouched: of the 663 tweets that were online as of the report’s publication on 4 September, 656 were still accessible as of 25 September.
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European Union: Sanctioned Russian media entities and individuals’ content accessible on Telegram
Report co-author: Saman Nazari, Alliance4EuropeThis report is the fifth in a series looking at major online platforms’ enforcement of EU…
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Fool me once: Russian Influence Operation Doppelganger continues on X and Facebook – French chapter
In order to reach its objectives, the influence operation attempts to make use of domestic news or context, often trying to frame the tweets in the context of larger French political debates.
News & events
press
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Wired Italia
On Facebook, Russian media don’t care about European sanctions
(translated from Italian) There are 52 pages and accounts of Russian media and individuals on Facebook, with a total of more than 3.9 million followers, which, despite having been sanctioned by the European Union after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, are still currently accessible to European citizens. This is according to a report published on July 31 by the Alliance for Europe and Science Feedback, two organizations that are part of the Counter Disinformation Network and specialize in analyzing online disinformation campaigns.
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Rolling Stone
How Elon Musk and X Became the Biggest Purveyors of Online Misinformation
Science Feedback released a study in March 2023 which found that 490 misinformation “superspreader” accounts posting viral false claims had enjoyed a 44 percent increase in engagement under the Musk regime.
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The New York Times
‘Convergence of Anger’ Drives Disinformation Around E.U. Elections
A report this week from two fact-checking groups, Newtral in Spain and Science Feedback in France, tracked false narratives in six languages that were linked to the farmer protests. There were unfounded claims that the European Union was deliberately destroying crop fields, forcing reductions in agricultural production and trying to replace farmers with A.I. robots. The claims appeared to resonate with audiences far more than general climate criticism did, researchers said.
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DPA (German Press Agency)
La banquise arctique en déclin depuis les années 80
« Il est important de comprendre que la glace de mer, en tant qu’indicateur du changement climatique, fluctue d’une année à l’autre », explique Stephen Bell, rédacteur scientifique pour le réseau international Climate Feedback, créé pour lutter contre la désinformation climatique.