Category Coordinated disinformation

Meta and X respond to EU calls for vigilance over disinformation on social media – Business Daily

Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as X, formerly known as Twitter, have responded to a letter from EU Commissioner Thierry Breton urging caution over an increase in disinformation and illegal content. Both social media giants have said they've taken action on social media posts that violate EU law. Also in this edition: Argentinian presidential candidates play the blame game on currency devaluation and US auto workers escalate their strike.
Read MoreMeta and X respond to EU calls for vigilance over disinformation on social media – Business Daily

No, Ukraine didn’t release a postal stamp of a pro-Nazi soldier

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been circulating an image of what they say is a Ukrainian postage stamp showing a Ukrainian veteran who fought alongside the Nazis in World World II. It turns out, however, that this isn"t a real stamp.
Read MoreNo, Ukraine didn’t release a postal stamp of a pro-Nazi soldier

These photos do not show Ukrainian ‘children’ being sent to the front

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, some have claimed that "children" are being recruited into the Ukrainian army. Three viral photos, purporting to show graves of very young soldiers, have been shared since mid-August as evidence of this phenomenon. However, two of these three photos have been manipulated, and actually show the burial sites of adult men.
Read MoreThese photos do not show Ukrainian ‘children’ being sent to the front

No, this video doesn’t show Ukrainian soldiers ‘giving up without a fight’

Pro-Russian social media accounts have been widely sharing a video that they claim shows Ukrainian soldiers surrendering to the Russian army en masse. The video, however, actually shows a prisoner swap between the Russian state-funded paramilitary group, the Wagner Group, and the Ukrainian army in May 2023.
Read MoreNo, this video doesn’t show Ukrainian soldiers ‘giving up without a fight’

No, Elijah Wood did not urge Volodymyr Zelensky to seek treatment for alleged addictions

A video has been circulating online that allegedly shows "Lord of the Rings" actor Elijah Wood giving the Ukrainian president advice on how to tackle his alleged drug and alcohol addictions. He can be seen recording himself and talking to a so-called "Vladimir". However, the video has been heavily edited and his agent has confirmed it was not published by the actor.
Read MoreNo, Elijah Wood did not urge Volodymyr Zelensky to seek treatment for alleged addictions

Parties in Kyiv nightclubs in the midst of war? Watch out for these misleading images

A video compilation that has been circulating since May 3 claims to show that - despite the war - the party is in full swing in Kyiv's nightclubs, taking advantage of foreign donations to Ukraine's war effort. Most of these images date from before the war, however, and some of the establishments where they were filmed have been closed since the conflict began in February 2022.
Read MoreParties in Kyiv nightclubs in the midst of war? Watch out for these misleading images

No, this video doesn’t show Ukrainians setting fire to an Orthodox church

Did Ukrainians really set a Russian Orthodox church on fire? A video purporting to show just that has been circulating online since April 5, 2023. However, it turns out that this video was filmed in Russia more than ten years ago and shows an accidental fire.
Read MoreNo, this video doesn’t show Ukrainians setting fire to an Orthodox church

No, Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t buy a villa in Florida

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky buy a house in Florida? And did he get American citizenship? Those are the rumors circulating on social media along with a couple of photos. However, the villa that appears in the photos is still up for sale and the certificate of nationality is fake, making this the latest example of fake news stories implying that Ukrainian officials are using international aid money for personal purposes.
Read MoreNo, Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t buy a villa in Florida

Facebook shuts thousands of fake Chinese accounts masquerading as Americans

Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the U.S. ahead of next year's elections, Meta said Thursday.
Read MoreFacebook shuts thousands of fake Chinese accounts masquerading as Americans

Three claims accuse Volodymyr Zelensky of being addicted to cocaine

In recent weeks, people have been sharing at least three videos purporting to show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky either using cocaine or making incoherent remarks after allegedly consuming drugs. But these videos have been cut misleadingly and sometimes even digitally manipulated.
Read MoreThree claims accuse Volodymyr Zelensky of being addicted to cocaine