Misinformation
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.
Facebook Is Getting Rid Of The Option To Make Groups "Secret" Or "Closed"
Instead, users will have two options: public or private.
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?"
Marine Le Pen's Campaign Shot A Fake Video During The Race. Now It Claims It Was A Parody.
Marine Le Pen's 2017 campaign staff shot an interview with a man claiming to be a reporter for a French state-owned TV network. The man was actually a contractor for Le Pen's party.
Older Indians Drive Millennials Crazy On WhatsApp. This Is Why They're Obsessed.
Young Indians are hooked to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. But for older Indians, WhatsApp is the ultimate social network.
Pro-Trump Commentators Are Suggesting A Link Between The Amtrak Crash And Antifa
A similar narrative has been surfaced by the same personalities in the past.
If You Get 3/7 On This Quiz, You're Drowning In Internet BS
Poop, nudity, and DNA tests are on this week's docket.
One Of The Biggest Alternative Media Networks In Italy Is Spreading Anti-Immigrant News And Misinformation On Facebook
The network sheds light on the overlap between the fringe underbelly of the Catholic world, Italy’s nationalist movements, and for-profit clickbait.
Bogus Health News Is All Over Pinterest
Pins making unsubstantiated claims — like that cinnamon cures arthritis and alkaline water kills cancer — have been pinned thousands of times.
Google Sometimes Highlights Misinformation In Search Results
"Featured snippets," highlighted search results that appear first under the search bar, may contain unverified and false information.
Inside The Alt-Right’s Campaign To Smear Trump Protesters As Anarchists
Sources tell BuzzFeed News that viral photos of a sign urging violence against Melania Trump at an anti-Trump protest were planned by one of the organizers of the DeploraBall, Jack Posobiec.
How Teens In The Balkans Are Duping Trump Supporters With Fake News
BuzzFeed News identified more than 100 pro-Trump websites being run from a single town in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Amber Heard Lawyers: She Didn’t Initially Report Alleged Abuse To “Protect” Johnny Depp’s Career
Heard's legal team attempts to clear up "misinformation," saying their client initially declined to provide a statement to police in order to "protect her privacy and Johnny's career."
The Police Are Just As Likely To Believe Policing Myths As Everyone Else
In a new study, police officers scored no better than the general public on a true-or-false test about the legal system – despite being more confident in their answers.
