Truth or Fake

Meta is expanding its shift away from professional fact-checking. The tech giant announced it's trialling it's crowdsourced "Community Notes" system across 16 countries in Latin America. Meta says the system will only fully roll out once it is confident it works, but critics warn that with misinformation, manipulated images and AI-generated content spreading rapidly, crowdsourced checks may come too late to prevent false claims from reaching millions. Vedika Bahl explains the risks.

As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the press over coverage questioning where he was. This week, he said two firefighters carried him to safety near the US Steel Building right after the attacks, though he later said that he wasn’t at the World Trade Center on the day of the collapse. His version of events and alleged role at Ground Zero have evolved many times over the years. Vedika Bahl fact-checks in Truth or Fake.

Pro-Israel lobby group UN Watch has alleged that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres referred to Francesca Albanese, the UN's Special Rapporteur on Palestine, as "out of control", saying he'd previously called her a "horrible woman". But Guterres named no one in his remarks. He said "many" independent rapporteurs were "totally out of control", without singling out any individual. The UN has since said that linking the comment specifically to Albanese is a "misreading" of his remarks. Vedika Bahl fact-checks.

As US-Iran hostilities flare up and strikes resume, so has a wave of misinformation online. Old and unrelated videos are flooding social media, falsely presented as footage of new attacks. As tensions escalate, clips filmed in Dubai, Russia and the US have been misrepresented as Iranian strikes on US bases in the Gulf. Elsewhere, a 68-year-old video of a US nuclear test has been falsely claimed to show Iran detonating mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Vedika Bahl fact-checks in Truth or Fake.

Lake Ontario is now appearing as "Lake America" on Google Maps for US users, following US President Donald Trump's executive order to rename the lake. Canadians still see "Lake Ontario", while users elsewhere see both names. But the change is far from universal: Apple Maps and MapQuest continue to use Lake Ontario. MapQuest has remained defiant against the move and since surged to the top of the US App Store download charts.

As deadly floods hit the Nepal-China border, social media is being inundated with fake and misleading footage. In Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl goes through viral videos falsely linked to the disaster, including AI-generated content and old recycled footage from India, Chile and Alaska. Some posts have racked up millions of views online, exploiting the tragedy to drive engagement for easy clicks or further perpetuate conspiracy theories. 

When announcing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool had been drained again, US President Donald Trump doubled down on his vandalism claims, but his latest account raises fresh questions. Online, Trump said the alleged "slashes" stretched for 300 yards, after previously describing them as 250, 300 and 350 feet. This comes as photos and video of the empty pool don't appear to show any obvious signs of the massive gash he described in the pool's liner.

Following weeks of speculation over his health after he hadn’t been seen in weeks, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell shared a "proof of life" photo showing himself alive and well in an apparent bid to silence the rumours. Instead, it fuelled a fresh wave of conspiracy theories. 

Viral claims with millions of views falsely claim the European Parliament has launched a probe into FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. In reality, 72 MEPs penned a letter to EU football associations, urging them to seek a formal FIFA review into the controversial Balogun red card reversal. No probe has been opened, but the episode adds to growing scrutiny around FIFA’s president. 

AI-generated fake videos, viral hoaxes and real racism are colliding at the FIFA World Cup. From a fabricated Ronald Koeman rant and false claims targeting Algerian fans to the racist abuse of Kylian Mbappé and FIFA investigations, misinformation is spreading alongside genuine discrimination. Vedika Bahl fact-checks the biggest World Cup racism claims, debunks the false ones, and separates AI-generated deception from real incidents of racist abuse on and off the pitch.

Egypt has filed a formal complaint with FIFA after its controversial World Cup exit to Argentina, accusing officials of “double standards” and demanding the removal of the referee and his team. Egypt led 2-0 before Argentina staged a dramatic comeback, with controversy centred on a VAR decision that ruled out a crucial Egyptian goal. The defeat has since fuelled viral claims on social media of Argentina receiving preferential treatment, with some users alleging the World Cup has been “rigged” in favour of Lionel Messi’s side.

International news agencies documented huge crowds at former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral procession in Tehran. But alongside genuine images of mourners, AI-generated videos and photos falsely claiming to show the event have spread widely online. Some exaggerate the size of the crowds, while others feature tell-tale AI errors and fabricated landmarks designed to generate clicks and engagement.

On the eve of a key NATO summit, US Presient Donald Trump reignited his feud with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by sharing a doctored image on Truth Social, captioned “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The altered image is based on genuine G7 footage but changes Meloni's facial expression to make her appear enamoured with Trump. This new jab follows weeks of bitter public clashes between the two leaders, following Trump’s claims she "begged" him for a photo.

Austria and Algeria's dramatic 3-3 World Cup draw sparked online claims that the match was fixed to send both teams into the knockout stage at Iran's expense. Conspiracy theories, misleading videos and fake FIFA notices have fuelled the speculation, with some dubbing it the "Disgrace of Kansas City" in a nod to the infamous 1982 "Disgrace of Gijón". But is there any evidence the game was engineered?

The US Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, ruling that children born in the US are citizens under the Constitution regardless of their parents' immigration status. The decision also casts fresh scrutiny on Trump's repeated claims about the policy, including that the US is the only country with birthright citizenship and that it's driving widespread abuse. 

Ahead of America's 250th anniversary, US President Donald Trump shared what appears to be an AI-generated image of a giant golden eagle mounted on the White House's Truman Balcony. Google detected a SynthID watermark, while photos taken after the post showed no eagle in place. Reposted by official White House accounts, the image sparked widespread mockery online with critics calling it "tacky" and "cheap", while pointing out that the White House isn't 250 years old.

As rescue efforts continue in Venezuela after the twin earthquakes, social media has been flooded with misleading videos falsely claiming to show the devastation. Viral clips have been recycled from disasters in other countries, old footage from Venezuela presented as current and AI-generated videos put out as real. Together, these tactics are driving widespread misinformation about the disaster while the death toll climbs.

FIFA has rejected calls from Iran and Egypt to ban rainbow flags at their World Cup match in Seattle on Friday, despite both countries objecting to local Pride-themed celebrations linked to the fixture. FIFA says LGBTQ+ flags are permitted at all World Cup games under its Code of Conduct, despite different rules in Qatar's 2022 tournament. While FIFA has distanced itself from the city's events, it has made clear that rainbow flags will be allowed for the games.

A viral clip from the first round of US-Iran peace talks in Switzerland has fuelled online speculation that US Vice President JD Vance was snubbed by Qatar’s prime minister, after users claimed the video showed him "ignore" Vance in favour of greeting Pakistan's prime minister. The Qatari PM, though, dismissed the claims as "unfounded", saying he and Vance had already spent hours together during the talks. The White House also rejected the narrative, pointing the finger at Iran for the rumours.

With algae-green water and blue peeling paint, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is set to be drained again, despite US President Donald Trump's recent renovation costing over $14 million. Trump has blamed the problems on "vandalism," claiming a 350-foot gash was deliberately cut into the pool, adding that multiple arrests have been made. However, he has not publicly provided evidence for the claims, despite journalists pressing him for proof.

Lionel Messi is now the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, after scoring twice on Monday against Austria in the 2026 World Cup. But his first match, where he scored a hat-trick against Algeria, saw some online controversy. According to internet users, Algerian fans allegedly targeted him with an aggressive chant, calling Messi the "enemy of Allah" and threatening Argentina. But the audio is manipulated, and is in fact an old Arab protest chant against Egypt's president. 

The World Cup is well underway across North America, bringing its usual mix of spectacular goals, historic upsets and colourful stadium crowds. But alongside the genuine celebrations, a wave of manipulated media is flooding social media. From a fake Hitler lookalike to hyper-realistic female football enthusiasts designed exclusively to bait clicks, FRANCE 24's Maya-Anaïs Yataghène investigates these viral supporters in this edition of Truth or Fake.

As Iran began its World Cup campaign amidst a tense political climate, a wave of misleading images and claims have spread online about the team allegedly making political statements. One photo falsely claimed to show an Iranian player carrying a pink school backpack in tribute to Iranian schoolgirls killed in Minab during the US-Iran conflict. A goal celebration by Iranian forward Mohamed Mohebi was also widely interpreted online as a "threatening" gun gesture.

With the G7 summit underway in France, some social media users are claiming that French leader Emmanuel Macron deliberately "humiliated" US President Donald Trump by not being there to greet him upon his arrival at the airport. Many posts shared a video showing Trump disembarking an aircraft and later appearing unsmiling during a handshake with Macron, suggesting the two events were linked. However, the viral footage omits important context.