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
Video is not proof that WHO chief has not been vaccinated against COVID-19
False claim: Social media users around the world have shared the claim that the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. The posts are accompanied by a clip from an interview in which, when asked when he got his first shot, the WHO chief replied: “I wanted to wait until Africa and other countries in other regions, low-income countries, started vaccination.”
Truth:
- A reverse image search shows that in the full interview, published on the Science magazine website on June 18, 2021 Tedros makes it clear that he was vaccinated on May 12 of that year.
- In a post on his Twitter account on May 12, 2021 the WHO chief even shared an image of him receiving the first dose of the vaccine.
USA
Delta Force did not seize a shipment of weapons headed to the IRS
False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared the claim that a special operations unit of the U.S.
Army's Delta Force seized a shipment of weapons bound for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Truth:
- A reverse image search shows that the claim originates from an article published on August 8, 2022 on the Real Raw News website, which has a history of publishing misleading or false information.
- In its “About Us” section, Real Raw News states: “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire.”
- In a statement to Reuters, Marine Corps spokesperson Major Jim Stenger said that the claim circulating on the web is “fake”.
Europe
Monkeypox is not only circulating in countries where Pfizer's Covid vaccine was distributed
False claim: Social media users in Europe have shared the claim that the current outbreak of monkeypox is only occurring in countries that have administered Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine.
The posts are accompanied by two maps purportedly showing the countries that have reported cases of monkeypox since May 2022 and the countries where the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for use.
Truth:
- According to information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of August 11, 2022 cases of monkeypox had been reported in a total of 89 countries.
- The Pfizer vaccine, on the other hand, according to data from the pharmaceutical company itself, has been administered in 180 countries.
- According to the WHO, monkeypox, which has existed for decades, can be “transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.”
Australia
Proposed Indigenous advisory body will not lead to people losing their private property rights
False claim: After Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined a draft referendum question on the creation of an Indigenous advisory body, social media users shared the claim that this would lead to Australians losing their private property rights.
“Did you know, Under the Native Title Act, aborigines have no private property rights. Under the Uluru Voice, neither will you…#SayNo,” posted Josephine Cashman of the right-wing populist party One Nation.
Truth:
- Elected prime minister last May, Albanese had promised to hold a referendum vote during his term – ending in 2025 – to change the country's constitution, which does not currently recognize Indigenous peoples. The measure is opposed by the One Nation party, which is leading a campaign for a “no” vote.
- The idea of enshrining the so-called Indigenous Voice, which would advise the government on decisions affecting the Indigenous peoples, comes from the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which was passed during the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in Uluru on May 26, 2017.
- In a statement to the AFP, Paul Kildea, a law professor at the University of New South Wales, said the proposal aims to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a say over laws and policies that affect their lives, but have no law-making powers and will be unable to direct the parliament or government to take actions of any kind.
- It is also incorrect to say that under the Native Title Act Indigenous peoples have no rights to private property. Passed by Parliament in 1993, the law recognizes “the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in land and waters according to their traditional laws and customs.”
Argentina
It is not true that there is a social program in Argentina just for gay people
False claim: Social media users in Argentina have shared a video in which two men claim to have received a social benefit from the National Social Security Administration (Anses) aimed at LGBTQIA+ people.
“Guys, they deposited the Gay Plan of 25,000 pesos paid by ANSES for me and my friend La Vicky,” says one of the men in the clip posted on the Kwai video platform.
Truth:
- In the bottom right-hand corner of the video posted on Kwai it is possible to see that the clip was posted by an account named AlexGatica. A web search shows that the user has accounts on different social networks (TikTok, Instagram and YouTube), in which he presents himself as “digital creator,” “producer” and “singer.”
- AlexGatica later posted a new video on his account to talk about the topic: “Me and my friend made a video here on TikTok saying that we were benefited to receive the new Gay Plan that ANSES was going to pay us, 25,000 pesos for being gay, which was totally false. It's a humor video.”
