Misinformation
Facebook Removed A Chinese Propaganda Network Targeting The Philippines, Southeast Asia, And The US
Content targeting Biden and Trump received almost no engagement.
Friends And Family Members Of QAnon Believers Are Going Through A “Surreal Goddamn Nightmare”
Almost 200 people told us what it’s been like to lose a loved one to the mass delusion. Here’s what they said.
Celebs Are Quitting Facebook And Instagram For A Day To Protest Hate Speech
Multiple celebrities announced they will "freeze" their Facebook and Instagram accounts on Wednesday to call for a change to Facebook's policies.
GOP Senate Nominee Jason Lewis Founded A Social Network Where People Promoted A Pro-Hitler Documentary
Galt let its community decide what was most important to them. This is what they chose.
Facebook Has Removed Fake Accounts From A Washington PR Firm And Russian Trolls
The fake pages, groups, and profiles tried to sow political chaos around the world.
Trump Staff Keep Spreading Manipulated Videos Of Joe Biden
“This is what happens when you corner a rat,” a spokesperson for Joe Biden told BuzzFeed News
The "Plandemic" Sequel Is Here. We Give It Zero Stars.
Bloated, confused, and filled with nonsense, Plandemic: Indoctornation goes where so many sequels have gone before.
Twitter Is Locking People Fact-Checking Trump Out Of Their Accounts
The people are not trying to spread coronavirus misinformation — but to fight against it.
Joe Biden, Elon Musk, And Barack Obama's Twitter Accounts Were Hacked In A Bitcoin Scam
Hackers took over some of Twitter's biggest accounts to solicit bitcoin on Wednesday.
Boompilled: Fireworks Conspiracy Theories Are Bursting Across The Internet
There's no evidence that the fireworks lighting up US cities are caused by anything other than oversupply and understimulation. That hasn't stopped the conspiracies.
Facebook And Instagram Will Let You Turn Off Political Ads
“For those of you who’ve already made up your minds and just want the election to be over, we hear you."
Twitter Says You Have To Read This Article Before You Tweet It
The feature will be tested on Android phones.
Coronavirus Contact Tracers Are Facing Death Threats And Comparisons To Nazis On Facebook And YouTube
"Contact tracers are the new Gestapo," one post said.
People Are Saying Police Brutality Protesters Are Being Paid, But They’re Citing A Satirical Website
The creator of ProtestJobs.com is mortified.
A Popular QAnon Twitter Account That Claims To Have Explosive DC Dirt Is Really Just A Random Italian Guy
"Greg Rubini" isn't the person he claims to be.
Facebook Will Begin Labeling Posts From State-Controlled Media
The social network also said it will start blocking some ads in the US starting later this summer.
After The "Plandemic" Video Went Viral In The US, It Was Exported To The Rest Of The World
The discredited video has been translated into more than a dozen languages and has spread across the non-English-speaking world.
Trump’s Campaign And Fox News Are Attacking A Twitter Employee Because They Think He Fact-Checked The President. They Have The Wrong Guy.
“No one person at Twitter is responsible for our policies,” a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “It's unfortunate to see individual employees targeted for company decisions.”
Twitter Fact-Checked A Trump Tweet For The First Time
Donald Trump said mail-in ballots are fraudulent. Twitter said that wasn't the case.
Facebook Is Taking Down Posts That Cause Imminent Harm — But Not Posts That Cause Inevitable Harm
The social media platform is siding with scientists to stop the spread of harmful misinformation about the pandemic. If it can do it now, why wasn't it doing it all along?
These Are The Fake Experts Pushing Pseudoscience And Conspiracy Theories About The Coronavirus Pandemic
A guide to the spin doctors and conspiracy theorists clogging up your social media feed.
Here’s Why Everyone On Facebook Is Talking About Woodstock And The Coronavirus
We are stardust. We are golden. And we've got to stop sharing unhelpful memes.
The "Plandemic" Video Has Exploded Online — And It Is Filled With Falsehoods
The slickly produced video has been viewed by millions, despite platforms' attempts to limit its spread.
This Doctor Is Suggesting COVID-19 Lockdowns Are A Conspiracy To Take Away Your Freedom
A viral video in which Dr. Annie Bukacek questions the severity of COVID-19 has given anti-lockdown activists across the country a sense of validation.
Past Coronavirus Research Grants Are Being Used To Smear Anthony Fauci
The National Institutes of Health has given millions of dollars to scientists studying coronaviruses. That funding didn't cause the COVID-19 pandemic.
We Will Never Agree On What Happened During The First Wave Of The Pandemic — And That Will Make It Harder To Survive The Second
The virus isn't just attacking our bodies — it's attacking our brains.
Here’s A Timeline Of How A Bill Gates Reddit AMA Turned Into A Coronavirus Vaccine Conspiracy
In less than a month, the baseless claim went from an obscure biohacking blog to the New York Post and RT.
The College Fix Was Founded To Fight Culture Wars On Campus, But Its Biggest Hit Is About The Coronavirus
“The danger is that many, many people will die if we just let nature take its course. That's the problem. We don't want people to die.”
A YouTube Video Accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci Of Being Part Of The Deep State Has Been Viewed Over 6 Million Times In A Week
The video also advises people to treat COVID-19 with vitamin C.
Instagram And YouTube Have Been Accused Of "Moral Failure" Over Coronavirus Conspiracy Sales
Social media platforms are facing criticism for allowing accounts to profit from product sales alongside wild conspiracy theories about the virus.
5G Conspiracy Theorists Are Using Fears About The Coronavirus To Make Money
For $350, they’ll sell you a USB stick they claim protects you from harmful 5G radiation and prevents infection from the coronavirus. (It doesn't.)
WhatsApp Is Imposing Stricter Limits On Forwarding Messages To Slow Down Coronavirus Misinformation
Once a message has been forwarded more than five times in total, it can now only be forwarded to one chat at a time.
Chinese Propaganda Is Trying To Paint The Country As A Leader In Coronavirus Response
“China’s larger strategic goals, under which all of this rolls up, are to convince the world and make the world feel comfortable in China’s ascendancy.”
Twitter Deleted Two Tweets From Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro For Spreading Coronavirus Misinformation
“What I have been hearing from people is that they want to work,” Bolsonaro said in one of the deleted videos.
Elon Musk Incorrectly Tweeted Children Are “Essentially Immune” From The Coronavirus. Twitter Said That’s Okay.
Musk's tweet that children were “essentially immune” from the coronavirus contradicted information from the CDC and scientific research.
YouTube Is Letting Millions Of People Watch Videos Promoting Misinformation About The Coronavirus
False claims that the virus is caused by 5G phone signals or can be treated with vitamin C are being widely viewed on the platform.
“I’m Not An Epidemiologist But…": The Rise Of The Coronavirus Influencers
What happens when Twitter engagement decides who’s in charge of the coronavirus public health crisis?
Don't Believe Those Texts That Say The Federal Government Is Going To Use The Stafford Act To Quarantine The United States
Impossible to trace and difficult to debunk, rumors of a national quarantine are nevertheless false.
Here's A Running List Of The Latest Hoaxes Spreading About The Coronavirus
Misinformation, hoaxes, and snake oil cures have all been rampant online since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Chinese Diplomats Are Pushing Conspiracy Theories That The Coronavirus Didn't Originate In China
China’s English-language propaganda machine has finally found its way into the American digital feedback loop.
New York City Officials Say There Is No Shut Down Planned This Weekend Because Of The Coronavirus
There are no plans to shut down the city's roadways and subway, or to bring in the Army, in spite of false text messages you may have seen.
People On Nextdoor Are Freaking Out About Coronavirus
People on the local social media site are spreading falsehoods linking the virus to homelessness, eating meat, and not using tea tree oil as a sanitizer.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Air Purifiers And Coronavirus
Washing your hands and minimizing exposure to public spaces is a much more effective way of preventing contamination.
Trump's Biggest Supporters Think The Coronavirus Is A Deep State Plot
While Donald Trump has tasked Mike Pence with leading the country to safety.
India Is In The Middle Of A Coronavirus YouTube Frenzy, And It’s Going To Get People Killed
“There is a general sense of fear, so people look out for information — and YouTube becomes one of the places to look for it.”
Instagram Is Trying To Reroute People Clicking Into The #Coronavirus Hashtag To More Credible Sources
Facebook has also said it would conduct "proactive sweeps" in order to remove or block hashtags spreading misinformation on Instagram.
YouTube Has Been Cracking Down On Coronavirus Hoaxes, But They Are Still Going Viral
The video platform is doing better than many other social networking sites but still faces an uphill battle.
Shoddy Coronavirus Studies Are Going Viral And Stoking Panic
Scientists are rapidly posting findings about the new coronavirus outbreak online, accelerating the speed of scientific discoveries — and of misinformation.
A Site Tied To Steve Bannon Is Writing Fake News About The Coronavirus
Founded by an exiled billionaire and critic of the Chinese government, G News claimed without proof that China was prepared to admit the disease originated in its labs.
China Is Using Fears Of Online Misinformation About The Coronavirus To Arrest People
The Chinese government is fighting two viral outbreaks: one that has killed 132 people so far and another that has caused mass confusion online for millions more.
The Most Popular Facebook Content About Iran Right Now Isn’t Just Pro-Trump — It Was Posted By Him
Wrapping your head around the engagement Trump’s Iran-related Facebook posts are getting is almost impossible.
Facebook Is Running Anti-Vax Ads, Despite Its Ban On Vaccine Misinformation
"Our policy is to ban ads containing vaccine misinformation."
Twitter Will Let You Limit Who Can Reply To Your Tweets. It's Unclear How People Will Use This New Feature To Harass Each Other.
"We will be experimenting with this in early 2020."
#ReleaseTheJJCut: “Star Wars” Misinformation Hell Is The New Future Of Everything
Get ready for a world run by warring online communities completely lost in their own misinformation. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Facebook Is Not Removing An Ad Falsely Claiming Mitch McConnell Endorses Impeaching Trump
According to Facebook’s ad library, the ad has received over 1,000 impressions and was boosted for a few hundred dollars.
Facebook Has Banned Groups That Promote Flesh-Eating Fake Cancer Cures
After a BuzzFeed News report about the dangerous health misinformation, Facebook is cracking down.
Here's Another Deluge Of 2019 General Election Misinformation
So many falsehoods, such little time.
NATO-Linked Researchers Bought Fake Social Media Engagements To Test How Facebook, Twitter, And Google Combat Manipulation. The Companies Failed.
A NATO affiliate carried out a four-month experiment into manipulation on social media websites. The findings are published in a major new report.
The Witnesses At Wednesday’s Impeachment Hearing Weren’t Trying To Evade Republicans’ Questions. They Couldn’t Understand Them.
The hearings might lead to President Donald Trump’s impeachment. But they won’t make us agree with — or understand — each other.
The Canadian Election’s Surprise Influencer Is A Buffalo Man Targeting Canadians With Viral Disinformation
Matthew Ricchiazzi has written debunked stories about Canadian politics and once told a US candidate he'd publish "negative articles about [their] opponents" for $400 apiece.
Rudy Giuliani: “I Don't Worry About Propaganda"
In an interview, the former New York mayor said he doubted online propaganda influenced his actions on Turkey — or anything else.
Rudy Giuliani Sent Trump On A Wild Goose Chase With A Bunch Of Fake Internet Nonsense
To understand why Trump is so obsessed with Ukraine, you have to understand the nonsense Rudy Giuliani reads on the internet.
Hundreds Of Propaganda Accounts Targeting Iran And Qatar Have Been Removed From Facebook
Facebook took down over 200 accounts associated with a previous operation using the platform for propaganda.
Twitter Invested In A Social Network Accused Of Spreading Misinformation And Hate Speech
Earlier this year, ShareChat took steps to clean up the platform, including removing accounts and content that violate its community guidelines.
WhatsApp Is Now Letting Users Know When A Message Has Been Forwarded Too Many Times
The new feature is part of WhatsApp's efforts to curb how misinformation spreads on its platform.
The Pelosi Video Was Altered. Why Won’t Facebook Just Say That?
Facebook's handling of a forged video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi baffles leading researchers.
Twitter Will Let Users Report Tweets That Mislead Voters
The tool will be rolled out in India, where general elections are already underway, and in the European Union, which holds elections in May.
YouTube's New Fact-Check Tool Flagged Notre Dame Fire Coverage And Attached An Article About 9/11
The widget showing information about the Sept. 11 terror attacks appears to have been triggered by a new feature YouTube is testing to provide "topical context" around videos that might contain misinformation.
WhatsApp's New Tip Line Is Apparently "Not A Helpline” For Fake News At All
A misinformation tip line WhatsApp announced on Tuesday turns out to be primarily for research, not to help users who come across suspicious information, BuzzFeed News has learned.
Facebook Removed Hundreds Of Indian And Pakistani Political Pages For Spreading Bad Information Before India's Elections
“We don’t want our services to be used to manipulate people,” Facebook wrote in a blog post.
Facebook Is Pulling The Curtain Back On How It Organizes The Posts In Your News Feed
A “Why am I seeing this post” feature will let you understand and control why a post is showing up in your Facebook News Feed.
Facebook Has Announced A Multistep Plan To Crack Down On Anti-Vax Misinformation
The platform said the crackdown will also apply to Instagram's hashtag pages and Explore section.
YouTube Is Rolling Out A Feature That Shows Fact-Checks When People Search For Sensitive Topics
The feature, currently available to some users in India, will eventually be available globally, although YouTube declined to provide a timeline.
While Two Nuclear Powers Were On The Brink Of War, A Full-Blown Online Misinformation Battle Was Underway
“There’s politics, religion, enemy nations, and a surge of nationalism in this situation. It’s the perfect storm.”
These Are 50 Of The Biggest Fake News Hits On Facebook In 2018
A BuzzFeed News analysis found that 50 of the biggest fake stories of 2018 generated roughly 22 million total shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook.
In 2018, American Tech Companies Acknowledged The Mess They’d Created In India
Silicon Valley at last conceded this year that things in India and other developing markets were far from rosy.
The BBC Is Fighting Against Russian Disinformation With A News Service In Serbia
Amid growing concern over pro-Kremlin propaganda in the region, the BBC launched its Serbian service following a suggestion from Britain’s Foreign Office, sources told BuzzFeed News.
WhatsApp Has Finally Hired A Head For India, The Company’s Largest Market
The instant messaging app has been under fire in India for its role in spreading misinformation that killed at least 29 people this year.
The Partisan Meme Wars Have Come For LinkedIn
“Facebook banned me, they hate me. But that’s all good — I started posting on LinkedIn and everybody is following me,” said one Trump supporter.
Twitter Just Launched A Midterm Elections Page And It’s Already Full Of Garbage
One tweet that surfaced on the page suggested that Kid Rock was about to become one of Michigan’s senators.
Twitter Is Promoting Baseless Conspiracy Theories About The Pipe Bomb Devices Sent To Democratic Leaders And CNN
#FAKEBOMBSCARE, #FakeBombs, and #FalseFlag appeared alongside #BombScare.
Facebook And Twitter Are Taking Steps To Help States Keep Bogus Election Information Off Their Sites
Weary of their platforms being abused, Facebook and Twitter have streamlined a process for states to flag election lies.
Twitter Just Published Millions Of Russia- And Iran-Linked Tweets So Researchers Can Study Election Interference
“It is clear that information operations and coordinated inauthentic behavior will not cease,” Twitter said in a new blog post.
The Feds Just Asked The Woman Who Started A Facebook Cabbage Juice Cult To Remove False Claims From Her Website
“Jilly juice” creator Jillian Epperly has received a formal warning from the FTC, five months after Ohio authorities demanded that she send them proof of her claims.
Facebook Just Met With Reps From Myanmar, The Philippines, And Sri Lanka To Discuss Its Global Misinformation Problem
The embattled social network discussed enforcing individualized, region-specific policies after learning about cultural differences that make certain countries particularly vulnerable.
WhatsApp Has Appointed Someone To Handle Complaints From Indian Users After It Was Blamed For Fueling Violence
Indian law requires tech companies operating in the country to have a grievance officer, but despite having more than 200 million users in India, WhatsApp only appointed one at the end of August.
What We Know And Don’t Know About The Unverified Claim China Hacked Hillary Clinton’s Server
Many of the claims are baseless and lacking proof.
The Fake Newsletter: Why Facebook Can’t Fix Itself
The problem with tech’s apology cornucopia.
YouTube Is Fighting Back Against Climate Misinformation
The company is trying to combat scientific misinformation on its platform. Wikipedia has been helping the streaming platform describe topics like global warming, the MMR vaccine, and UFOs.
Far-Right Trolls Are Falsely Saying LGBT Activists Want Pedophilia Accepted
“If you don't know any better and you already think there's something wrong with this community, you're going to see this as more reason why it shouldn't have rights.”
WhatsApp Slaps "Forwarded" On Messages To Control Spread Of Misinformation
"This extra context will help make one-on-one and group chats easier to follow," the company said.
WhatsApp Just Told India's Government That It Cannot Fight Misinformation Alone
The company responded to a statement from an Indian ministry after it was pulled up for not doing enough to prevent rumors leading to more than a dozen lynchings since May.
The Fake Newsletter: How Many Times Have You Listened To "Lemonade"?
Inside the murky world of music streaming manipulation.
If You Get 3/7 On This Quiz, You're Drowning In Fake News
This week there are stories about swans, Dr. Oz, and Julian Assange.
Sign Up For The Fake Newsletter — A Regular Update About Digital Deception
BuzzFeed News media editor Craig Silverman and reporter Jane Lytvynenko analyze news and research about misinformation, conspiracies, hoaxes, and fake news.
If You Get 3/7 On This Quiz, You're Drowning In Fake News
This week there are stories about Taylor Swift, Facebook, and a windy day.
This Veteran Association Wants Facebook To Combat Fake Pages Targeting Retired Military Service Members
"Our population is extremely vulnerable to that type of thing,” an official from Vietnam Veterans of America told BuzzFeed News.
He Predicted The 2016 Fake News Crisis. Now He's Worried About An Information Apocalypse.
"What happens when anyone can make it appear as if anything has happened, regardless of whether or not it did?"
