Category Resources

Mexico: Visa requirements for Russians haven’t been eliminated | AP News

CLAIM: Mexico is planning to soon eliminate visa requirements for Russian nationals seeking to enter the country.

AP'S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. Mexico's ambassador to Russia says discussions between the two nations about mutually dropping visa requirements have been ongoing for years, but no agreement has been finalized. Eduardo Villegas MegÃas, Mexico's ambassador to Russia, says there's been no movement in the talks as Mexico remains neutral in Russia's war in Ukraine.

January 25, 2023

Disinformation Fact-checking tools Russian propaganda Fact check websites General Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports Resources Media formats Text Methods Misconceptions Context Russia Protected groups & minorities International community Mexico

How a video game has been used to create fake news about the Ukraine war – Truth or Fake

Since February, several Facebook and Twitter accounts versed in disinformation have been regularly sharing impressive videos purporting to show the war in Ukraine. But these viral images actually come from a video game called Arma 3. How can you spot these realistic spoofs that have even fooled international media? In this episode, the Truth or Fake team asks Pavel KÅiÅ¾ka, representative of Bohemia Interactive, the company that developed Arma 3.

December 2, 2022

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GUIDE: How to tell if a news article is reliable – Africa Check

If it's a big and important issue, be cautious about what you share or see shared on social media.

October 7, 2022

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Your guide to geolocating photos and videos posted online

Determining whether a scene actually took place where a social media user said it did - also known as geolocation - has become a major part of verifying social media posts. In this article, we take a look at some essential geolocation tools and walk you through a few case studies from the FRANCE 24 Observers team.

September 5, 2022

Disinformation Images Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings "How to" instructions Resources Media formats Video Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community

Fake news sites steal media brand names

The website looks authentic, but it isn't. Fake news sites showing well-known media brand names are acting as vehicles for Russian propaganda, among other things.

September 3, 2022

Disinformation Fact-checking tools Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports "How to" instructions Resources Methods Misconceptions Russia

How to investigate a Twitter account or suspicious tweets

There are about 200 million people who use Twitter on a daily basis, making it an important site for news and information. But this social network is also a prime source of disinformation, from fake accounts to tweets taken out of context. The FRANCE 24 Observers team takes a look at some good habits to avoid falling into these Twitter traps.

August 22, 2022

Images Coordinated disinformation Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings Faked news reports "How to" instructions AI-generated / doctored images Resources Media formats China Methods Misconceptions Ukraine Russia UK International community France

FRANCE 24 Observers’ guide to verifying images

Since 2018, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has been sharing tips for helping you to verify images that circulate online yourself. In this guide, we'll explain how to avoid falling into online traps - whether they involve photos or videos taken out of context or ones that have been actually doctored. We'll keep updating this guide, to keep you up to date on verification tools available for public use.

August 16, 2022

Disinformation Images Media taken out of context Fact checks / debunkings "How to" instructions Resources Media formats Video Methods AI / deep fake / doctored videos & audio Misconceptions

How to Terminate Russian Disinformation

By Zviad Adzinbaia, for CEPA

Russia's failed invasion of Ukraine can pave the way to ending the Kremlin's weaponized disinformation against the West.
Twitter limited more than 300 Russian government accounts last month, including that of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The move followed the European Union's (EU) 27 February ban on Russia's two state-run propaganda outlets, RT and Sputnik, three days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Meta followed by "restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU."

These measures set a precedent to clear Russia's disinformation networks from Western media and social media space.

May 13, 2022

Disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Putin Disinfo threat outlook Resources Misconceptions Ukraine Russia International community Georgia

How Yandex suppresses information for Russian internet users

A report by the Digital Forensics Research Lab (DFRLab) has accused Yandex of succumbing to Russia's domestic regulations by suppressing Ukraine war information for its users in Russia.

April 10, 2022

Disinformation Russian propaganda Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Disinfo threat outlook Resources Misconceptions Ukraine Russia

When Putin’s fans share fake videos of him to make him look tough – Truth or Fake

Vladimir Putin's online followers love sharing videos or photos of the Russian president that play up his strongman image. But sometimes in doing so, they share fake and manipulated videos - which then go viral. The Truth or Fake team take a look at two examples.

November 26, 2021

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