The world of news is complex – and false stories and images are often widely shared on social media. Blasting News’s 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.

World

Images do not show Nazi salutes at Eurovision Song Contest 2022

False claim: Social media users have shared claims that during the broadcast of the finals of this year's edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 14, musician Oleg Psiuk, a member of Ukraine’s winners Kalush Orchestra, and Poland’s spokesperson Ida Nowakowska have made Nazi salutes. The posts are accompanied by videos that allegedly prove the claims.

Truth:

  • Videos showing the same scene of Oleg Psiuk allegedly giving a Nazi salute, but recorded from different angles, indicate that the rapper was actually just waving to the crowd.
  • In the clips it can be clearly seen that while Psiuk raises his arm, his fingers are separated, and not together as in a Nazi salute.
  • Nowakowska, on the other hand, when announcing the results of the public vote from Poland to Ukraine, appears only making a “V”, or “peace”, sign with her fingers.

USA

Baby formula shortage is unrelated to Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates investment in artificial breast milk

False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared the claim that the current baby formula shortage affecting the country is linked to an investment by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and “other billionaires” in a company working to create lab-produced breast milk.

“Now you know why there’s suddenly a ‘formula shortage.’ The new age robber barons have conveniently invested in some unholy breast milk made from human organs,” reads the caption to some of the posts.

Truth:

  • Through the investment fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures, of which they are co-founders, Gates and Zuckerberg have indeed invested $3.5 million in a startup called BIOMILQ, which develops an artificial breast milk from lab-grown human mammary cells.
  • However, in an interview with CNN on May 3, Leila Strickland, co-founder and chief scientific officer of BIOMILQ, said that the company is still three to five years away from putting a product on the market.
  • The baby formula shortage is due in part to a February 2022 formula recall by Abbot Laboratories, the leading supplier of the product in the U.S., following complaints about bacterial infections in infants.
  • Other reasons are the supply chain issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, that was already impacting the baby formula industry, and the high inflation recorded in the country in recent months.

Latin America

Pfizer did not report that 90% of pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19 “lost their babies”

False claim: Social media users in Latin America have shared the claim that “confidential documents” from Pfizer indicate that 90% of pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19 “lost their babies.” Some of the posts cite an article published on The Exposé website as the source of the information.

Truth:

  • The article on The Exposé includes screenshots of a document in English. A search using the keywords in the text leads to a Pfizer document titled “Cumulative Analysis of Post-authorization Adverse Event Reports of PF-07302048 (BNT162B2) received through 28-Feb-2021.”
  • The document collects adverse events reported among people who received Pfizer's vaccine between December 11, 2020 and February 28, 2021.
  • On page 12 of the document it is written that by February 28, 2021 a total of 42,086 people who received Pfizer's vaccine reported adverse events during the study period. Of those, 270 reported being pregnant.
  • The paper later indicates that among the 270 pregnant women, only 10.37% reported a miscarriage, intrauterine or neonatal death.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) and the world's leading health agencies recommend that pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Brazil

It is false that French police found hidden ballots for Marine Le Pen in a truck

False claim: Social media users in Brazil have shared a video showing French police officers seizing a truck loaded with papers, along with the claim that those were uncounted ballots for far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, an evidence of fraud in last April’s presidential election, in which Emmanuel Macron was re-elected with 55.8% of the vote.

Truth:

  • A reverse image search shows that the video shared on social media was originally posted on April 19, 2022 on Twitter by journalist Remy Buisine.
  • According to Buisine, the clip shows police officers intervening in a demonstration in front of the headquarters of Marine Le Pen's campaign committee.
  • Articles published in the local press point out that protesters scattered thousands of fake bills in the street in allusion to a €9 million loan made in 2014 by the First Czech-Russian Bank to the National Front party, led at the time by Le Pen.

Africa

There was no coup in Somalia after the recent presidential election

False claim: Social media users in Kenya shared a video with scenes of soldiers marching, accompanied by the claim that there was a coup in Somalia a day after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud – who ruled the country from 2012 to 2017– beat incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed – known as Farmajo – in May 15 elections.

“BREAKING: Military coup takes effect after forces attack the residence of president-elect Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Farmajo is told not to leave Villa Somalia [the presidential palace] and all Mogadishu streets are closed,” reads the caption of the posts.

Truth:

  • According to AFP reporters in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, there was no coup attempt in the country after the presidential elections on May 15.
  • On May 17, a day after the false claim started to circulate on social media, the official Facebook page of the Somali presidency shared a video showing Mohamud and Farmajo having a cordial meeting in the presidential palace.
  • A reverse image search shows that the images of marching troops present in the video shared on social media were recorded on April 12, 2022 during an event celebrating the country's Armed Forces Day.

Oceania

Proposed law in the Australia does not ban people from growing their own food

False claim: Social media users shared the claim that lawmakers in the Australian state of Victoria are discussing a bill that prohibits local people from growing their own food.

Truth:

  • The posts circulating on social media refer to the Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022, currently being debated in Victorian parliament.
  • The bill, which amends eleven laws, deals with invasive species, animal disease control, pesticides and other potential threats to local agriculture.
  • Available in full on the Victorian government's website, the legislation does not contain any provisions that would prevent people from growing their own food.
  • In a document published on its official website, the Victorian government explains the details of the bill and debunks the false claim that the legislation would ban local residents from growing their own food.
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