May 31, 2023
Africa: No, Guardian Columnist Monbiot Didn't Say He's Had COVID 23 Times - Fake Headline and Op-ED
An odd bit of Britain's antivax politics has spread around the world in a screenshot that seems to have journalist George Monbiot saying, among other things, that "billions of kids… Read more »
April 28, 2023
Africa: No, Leaves From Plantain Plant Not a Remedy for Venomous Snake Bites and Scorpion Stings
A Facebook post circulating in Nigeria claims that the leaves of the plantain plant can treat a venomous snake bite or scorpion sting. But antivenoms, administered by a healthcare… Read more »
Africa: No, Google Does Not Specifically Exclude Christian Holidays Like Easter From Google Doodles
IN SHORT: Is tech giant Google waging a war against Christianity, exemplified by it excluding Christian holidays like Easter from its Google Doodle feature? Quite simply, no. Read more »
May 12, 2023
Africa: No, Paracetamol Pills Stamped P-500 Do Not Contain Machupo Virus. Old Hoax Is Still False
IN SHORT: Paracetamol tablets stamped "P-500" do not contain Machupo virus. This claim continues to resurface on WhatsApp and Facebook in different countries, but there's no… Read more »
June 12, 2023
Africa: No Evidence Garlic-Infused Water Can Treat Yeast Infections - Seek Medical Advice
IN SHORT: Garlic is a common ingredient in home remedies, and has been shown to have some medicinal properties. But there is conflicting evidence and not enough research to say it… Read more »
May 23, 2023
Africa: No, Pfizer Didn't Admit It Lied About Testing Efficacy of COVIS Vaccine
A claim that pharmaceutical company Pfizer has admitted to lying about testing the effectiveness of its Covid vaccine is still circulating on social media in South Africa. But this… Read more »
May 24, 2023
Africa: No, Pandemic Treaty Still a Rough Draft, Doesn't Give World Health Organization 'Control Over Entire World'
The World Health Organization's voluntary pandemic treaty lays out ways countries could cooperate to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics. It doesn't hand all power… Read more »
June 09, 2023
Africa: No, WEF Can't 'Hack Your Dreams' to 'Fact-Check Your Subconscious' - Bizarre Claim Misuses Two-Year-Old U.S. Beer Ad Experiment
Is the hard work of fighting disinformation about to get easier with new World Economic Forum tech that can simply insert fact-checks into people's dreams? No, this scenario is a… Read more »
June 07, 2023
Africa: Factsheet - 'A Disease Nobody Should Die From' - What You Should Know About the Cholera Outbreak in South Africa
With over twenty dead at time of publication, the outbreak of the waterborne disease cholera has rattled an already battle-weary South Africa. What do the public need to know about… Read more »
May 25, 2023
Africa: No, Hackers Can't Copy Your Contact List or Steal Banking Details Simply By Phoning You - Ignore Widely Shared Claim
IN SHORT: A message dating as far back as 2012 is once again circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp, warning the public not to answer or call back numbers with certain country codes.… Read more »
May 31, 2023
Africa: Don't Believe Remedy That 'Cures the Disease Effectively' - There Is Still No One-Size-Fits-All Cure for Cancer
IN SHORT: Cancer is a large group of diseases, with a variety of treatments tailored to the type of cancer and how far it has progressed. Claims that a herbal remedy offers a cure… Read more »
May 10, 2023
Africa: No, Photo Isn't of Malaysian Plane That Disappeared in 2014, but of Artificial Reef Off the Coast of Jordan
IN SHORT: The Malaysian passenger flight that went missing in 2014 has not been found and the viral photo showing a plane under water is unrelated. Read more »
Africa: No, You Won't Fall Victim to Phishing If You Share Greeting Messages On Whatsapp. This Old Hoax Is Still False
IN SHORT: Sending a "good morning" message via WhatsApp is harmless and we can prove it. So don't fall for this old hoax, which claims that doing this can give hackers access to… Read more »
April 26, 2023
Africa: Are You At Risk of Catching Leptospirosis When Drinking From a Tin Can? No, Ignore False Warning
IN SHORT: The claim that dried mouse urine found on tin cans could infect people with leptospira has resurfaced on Facebook. But the bacteria that causes the infectious disease… Read more »
April 25, 2023
Africa: Vaccines Do Not Cause Magnetism, No Evidence Government Is 'Secretly Injecting the Vaccine Into Meat'
IN SHORT: No vaccines - including ones against Covid-19 - cause the vaccinated to become magnetised, whether human or animal. And there's no government plot to inject meat with… Read more »
April 20, 2023
Africa: No Graphene Oxide in Covid-19 Vaccines, Pfizer Document Taken Out of Context
IN SHORT: We've seen many false and misleading claims about Covid-19 and the vaccines to prevent it since the start of 2020. The latest rumour about a vaccine ingredient, spreading… Read more »
April 04, 2023
Africa: A Cloudy Outlook? What We Are Learning About Election Disinformation in Africa and What You Can Do About It
As nearly a dozen countries in the region prepare to hold presidential elections, the spread of disinformation is inflaming the continent's political landscape. Will facts prevail… Read more »
March 30, 2023
Africa: A 4,070 Percent Increase in Miscarriages and Stillbirths Amongs Pregnant Women Who Took the Covid Vaccine? Entirely False
IN SHORT: There is no data to support the claim of a 4,070% increase in miscarriages and stillbirths as a result of taking the Covid mRNA vaccine. In fact, maternal health experts… Read more »
March 22, 2023
Africa: No, the World Economic Forum Doesn't Want to Legalise Sex or Marriage Between Humans and Animals - Claim From Known False Information Site
IN SHORT: There's no evidence the WEF has made any kind of pronouncement on the legality of sex between people and animals. It doesn't have the "authority or intention" to do so,… Read more »
March 20, 2023
Africa: South Africa's #nationalshutdown - Beware Misleading Visuals Circulating On Social Media
The Economic Freedom Fighters party was on Monday 20 March protesting a slew of grievances. But not all was what it seemed to be. Read more »
March 07, 2023
Africa: No, People Vaccinated Against Covid-19 Don't Develop Aids - Claim Peddled By Known False-Information Website
IN SHORT: In early 2023 a familiar anti-vaxx rumour started spreading on social media again, claiming that people vaccinated against Covid-19 were developing "Aids-like symptoms".… Read more »
February 28, 2023
Africa: No, Gammora HIV 'Cure Kits' Not Medically Proven - Stick to Approved Treatment
IN SHORT: HIV/Aids can't be cured, but can be treated and managed with antiretroviral drugs as a chronic disease. Claims that there is a "cure" for the human immunodeficiency… Read more »
Africa: Dangerous Websites and Engagement Bait - Be Sceptical of Social Media Posts Making Unlikely Promises of Freebies or 'Donations'
IN SHORT: A multitude of Facebook posts offering free houses and free Honda Civic cars are like empty promises we've seen before. They're scams trying to retrieve personal… Read more »
Africa: No, Pressing the ATM's Cancel Button Won't Prevent Bank Card Fraud
IN SHORT: The claim that pressing the "cancel" button on an ATM up to four times to prevent card fraud has resurfaced online. But it's still incorrect. Read more »
February 20, 2023
Africa: Yes, Chinese Scientist Tu Youyou Did Win Nobel Prize in 2015 for Discovery of Antimalarial and Has Stayed Mostly Out of the Limelight
IN SHORT: It's not surprising that certain claims go viral online, like the one that a cure for a dangerous disease was discovered by an anonymous Chinese woman who wasn't even a… Read more »