The world of news is complex – and false stories and images are often widely shared on social media. Blasting News’ editorial team spots the most popular hoaxes and misleading information every week to help you discern truth from falsehood. Here are some of the most shared false claims of this week, of which none are legit.

USA

World Economic Forum did not sign an order canceling U.S. elections

False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared a claim that the World Economic Forum (WEF) has signed an order canceling the upcoming U.S. elections. The posts are accompanied by an image of Klaus Schwab, founder of the WEF.

Truth:

  • An internet search shows that the claim originated in an article published by the website The People's Voice on August 29, with the following headline: “WEF Signs Order Canceling US Election: Americans Must Be Ruled By Global Elite For Their Own Good.”
  • The text presents as the alleged source of the information an opinion article by psychologist Adam Grant, professor at Wharton University and WEF collaborator, published on August 21 in The New York Times.
  • Contrary to what The People's Voice says, Grant's article does not discuss or suggest handing over the elections to an “elite” or “guardians of democracy”.
  • In a statement to Reuters, the World Economic Forum, which is based in Switzerland and has no authority to cancel elections in the U.S., said that the claim making the rounds on social media is false.

Europe

Video of people praying was not recorded during recent earthquake in Morocco

False claim: Social media users in Europe have shared a video of people praying in a mosque in the midst of an earthquake, accompanied by the claim that the images were recorded during the 6.8 magnitude tremor that hit Morocco on Friday, September 8, leaving almost 3,000 dead.

Truth:

  • A reverse image search shows that the same video was shared by Egyptian news website Mnelasema in a report published on February 27, 2023.
  • According to the article, the video was recorded at the Al-Farouq mosque in the Syrian city of Al-Dana during the earthquake that hit parts of Syria and Turkey on February 6, 2023 leaving more than 50,000 people dead.

Latin America

Trivalent flu vaccine does not contain graphene oxide

False claim: Social media users in Latin America have shared a video in which a woman introducing herself as Liliana Zelada Ruck claims to demonstrate using a microscope that the trivalent flu vaccine contains graphene oxide.

Truth:

  • Graphene oxide, a carbon-based nanomaterial, has been a constant target of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccine movements, especially during the pandemic, when the false claim that COVID-19 vaccines contain this substance to “magnetize” and “control” people was repeatedly shared online.
  • A search for the name Liliana Zelada Ruck on social media and Google indicates that she is a Bolivian dentist.
  • The vial that appears in the dentist's hand in the clip is similar to that of the trivalent flu vaccine produced by the Butantan Institute of Brazil and distributed by the Bolivian government as part of the country's 2023 public flu campaign.
  • According to information published on the Butantan website, the trivalent flu vaccine produced by the institute does not contain graphene oxide, or any other similar substance, in its composition.
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