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.
USA
It is false that Patrick Mahomes failed drug test following Super Bowl victory
False claim: Social media users in the United States have shared the claim that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be investigated by the National Football League (NFL) after allegedly testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) following his team's victory in Super Bowl LVII.
Truth:
- In a statement to the press, NFL chief spokesman Brian McCarthy said the claims are “absolutely false”.
- According to him, five players from each team were randomly selected and tested after the match, but Patrick was not among the Chiefs players who were chosen.
- The Kansas City Chiefs secured their third Super Bowl championship in franchise history by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 on February 12.
World
King Charles' coronation emblem was not revealed with a spelling mistake
False claim: Social media users around the world have shared a screenshot of a post from the British royal family's Twitter account announcing the official emblem for King Charles III’s coronation ceremony, which will take place on May 6.
According to the posts, however, the word “coronation” was allegedly misspelled in the emblem (“conoration”).
Truth:
- The emblem published in the official royal family account does not have a typo, and there is no evidence that the post was edited or that the account made a previous post with the reported error.
- The doctored image, which began circulating on Twitter minutes after the official emblem's release, was originally posted on the Twitter account of the British comedian Adam Kay, who later admitted having digitally manipulated the original image.
Brazil
Article announcing priority parking spaces for LGBTQIA+ people is doctored
False claim: Social media users in Brazil have shared a screenshot of an alleged article from the Brazilian news portal g1 that claims that parking spaces reserved for LGBTQIA+ people will be mandatory in the country by 2024.
“Supermarkets and malls will have until next year to adapt to the new model that will be added along with spaces for the elderly and disabled,” reads the subtitle of the article allegedly published on February 10.
Truth:
- In a statement, g1 claims to have never published an article with the same title and content.
- A search for LGBT on the g1 portal does not find any occurrence of an article related to priority parking spaces.
- A reverse image search shows that the picture accompanying the false article was taken from an initiative promoted by Volvo in the UK in 2018, as part of the celebrations of LGBTQIA+ Pride month.
Asia
Putin has not said that he will not resign until “the problem in Ukraine is settled”
False claim: Social media users in China have shared a video of a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by captions indicating that he reportedly said he will not resign until “the problem in Ukraine is settled.”
Truth:
- First, the video shared on social media contains footage of two different Putin speeches, as can be seen by the change in the background.
- A reverse image search shows that the first six-second of the video was taken from a video posted on AFP's official YouTube account on February 3, 2023. In the clip, made on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Red Army's victory over Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad, Putin speaks of Russia being “again” threatened by German tanks, in a clear reference to Berlin's decision to send armored vehicles to Ukraine.
- A reverse image search also shows that the second clip of Putin's speech is part of a video published by the Russian state agency Tass on April 27, 2022 in which Putin warned of retaliation against “anyone from outside” trying to intervene in the war in Ukraine. The transcript of the full speech is available in English and Russian on the Kremlin’s official website.
- In 2021, a law was passed by the Russian Duma allowing Vladimir Putin, who has held power for over 20 years, to serve two more six-year terms, which means he may continue as the President until 2036, despite his current term concluding in 2024.
Africa
Videos does not show banks on fire amid cash shortage in Nigeria
False claim: Social media users in Africa have shared two videos, alongside the claim that the images show two Nigerian banks –a branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and one of Zenith Bank– on fire in Benin City and Jalingo, respectively, amid a shortage of cash in the country.
Truth:
- A reverse image search shows that the alleged video of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on fire in Benin City actually shows a fire that occurred in December 2021 at a department store in the country's capital, Abuja, called Next Cash and Carry. In parts of the clip it is possible to see the store's logo on one side of the building.
- Also through a reverse image search, it is possible to see that the alleged video of a Zenith Bank branch on fire in the city of Jalingo is actually a clip of a fire that occurred in 2021 at a branch of the same bank in Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria.
- The Nigerian government is introducing new banknotes ahead of the upcoming presidential elections on February 25, causing cash shortages and long lines at bank branches for citizens trying to access their money. This situation has led some banks in the country to close branches due to safety concerns for their employees.
