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☆ Fact Check-Screenshot of fabricated tweet falsely attributed to Nigeria state governor Bello
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A fabricated tweet that is falsely attributed to Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has been shared by people online. I am in charge of my State and will not allow anyone intrude in my affairs” (here ). However, Reuters did not find any record of such a Tweet on Bello’s Twitter account (twitter.com/OfficialGYBKogi ). The state governor also published a denial on Twitter of ever writing such a post. Bello published a denial on his Twitter profile.

Persons: Yahaya Bello, Bello, Tinubu, Tweet, Nigeria ”, Read Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Google Locations: Federal Republic, Nigeria

☆ Fact Check-Photo showing GameStop ‘Titan Deals’ promotion is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Examples of users sharing the fake promotion, with a GameStop logo visible at the bottom, can be seen (here) and (here). Some users responding to posts commented on the reference to the Titan (here), which was reportedly operated with a Logitech F710 wireless game controller (here). GameStop does sell Subnautica, an underwater exploration video game series, according to the retailer’s website (here). Another version of the altered photo in some posts has the logo of MediaMarkt, not GameStop, at the bottom (here). The photo of an alleged GameStop promotion is fabricated.

Persons: MediaMarkt, Susanne Killian, “, ” Killian, ”, Killian, Den, Read Organizations: GameStop, Logitech, Titan, MediaMarktSaturn Retail, Reuters Locations: Netherlands, German, Roermond, tinyurl.com, Den Haag

☆ Why Chinese students are taking graduation photos looking ‘more dead than alive’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

These are graduation photos, and their theme is “being more dead than alive,” according to the accompanying caption. Urban youth unemployment is at record levels, reaching 20.8% in May, and an influx of new job seekers will only increase the competition. Li Nian, a PhD student who graduated this past week, is among those to have posted “more dead than alive” style photos. After being inspired by examples online, Li took her own graduation photos, which are funny despite the tiredness depicted. “I thought I would remember such graduation photos for the rest of my life,” she told CNN.

Persons: sprawled facedown, banister, –, Ren Yong, …, commiserate, ”, Li Nian, Li, Goldman Sachs, ” Young, lockdowns, “, can’t Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Urban, Students, Wuhan University, China’s Ministry of Education, CNN, Communist Party, Twitter, Weibo, ” Locations: Hong Kong, China, Nanjing, Spain, Italy

☆ Emma Watson’s ‘levitating’ dress is confusing the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Did someone say Wingardium Leviosa? “Harry Potter” fans are asking whether Emma Watson’s new dress may be the result of some Hogwarts wizardry. The star, who played Hermione Granger in the blockbuster movies, posted a picture of herself wearing the gravity-defying sky-blue gown on Instagram on Monday. The dress is not ‘hanging from her ears’ or ‘Photoshopped’, the dress is designed to have ‘bones’, it’s just couture. Renais is our love letter to Chablis; is carbon-neutral, lovingly made from upcycled grapes.

Persons: Harry Potter ”, Emma Watson’s, Hermione Granger, Loewe, Carolina__emme, ’, ” Watson, Duchess, Alex, Watson, “, Emma ” Organizations: CNN, Twitter Locations: Spanish, Ginspiration, Chablis

☆ China: Strange thing found in student's meal is rat head, officials rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The furore has also exposed deep levels of public distrust in Chinese local governments, whose attempts to cover up negative news have often backfired. “This is duck meat, duck meat,” the staffer insisted. It said the student had invited classmates to look at the object and confirmed it was duck neck, and had submitted a written clarification. “I found out it was not a rat head but a duck neck, so I would like to clarify,” the student said in the video. Instead, it fueled even more anger online, with users accusing the school and local officials of lying and pressuring the student to change his stance.

Persons: “, ”, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, ’ ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College, Jiangxi Radio, Television Station, CNN, Disney, Communist Party Locations: China, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Qin, Weibo

Then, a deep dive into MrBeast and what his YouTube empire says about the future of the internet. Reddit came along and said, oh, we need to protect Reddit from the rise of these large language models. So I don’t think they’re totally out of the woods. But I don’t think people would say it was a golden age for how safe the platforms fell to use. But I want to challenge you on this, because I don’t necessarily think that it’s a bad thing if we have past peak trust and safety.

Persons: kevin roose, you’ve, casey newton, casey newton Yes, I’ve, there’s, kevin roose I’m, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, Casey, Reddit, casey newton Right, roose, Steve Huffman, you’re, Kevin, It’s, They’re, casey newton Well, they’ve, we’re, Huffman, “, Redditors, We’ve, Everyone’s, we’ve, I’m, let’s, Sam Walton, Max, kevin roose Hey, kevin roose Oh, kevin roose Max Read, MrBeast, it’s, Jimmy Donaldson, He’s, Willy Wonka, he’s, somethings, haven’t, kevin roose We’ll, We’ll, kevin roose She’s, she’s, kevin roose MrBeast, Jeremiah, jeremiah howard, Jeremiah Howard who’s, Jimmy, Burger, You’re, Stefan Molyneux, PewDiePie, Paul, Let’s, Raman, kevin roose It’s, MrBeast financials, doesn’t, Logan Paul, they’re, Vincent Miller, Jon Hamm’s, Matthew Weiner’s, kevin roose Max, Will, Max Read, ” kevin roose, casey newton Max, Robert F Kennedy, COVID, Kennedy, Instagram, Connor Roy, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Elon, Donald Trump, We’re, Jim Jordan, kevin roose Totally, Alex Jones, casey newton Totally, Kate Kalanick, Trump, Tucker Carlson, aren’t, — casey newton, hasn’t, Rachel Cohn, Jen Poyante, Caitlin Love, Alyssa Moxley, Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, Marion Lozano, Sofia Lanman, Rowan Niemisto, Paula Szuchman, Tam, Nell Gallogly, Kate LoPresi, Jeffrey Miranda Organizations: The New York Times, Twitter, YouTube, Lamborghini, Netflix, Walmart, News, Producers, Meta, Instagram, COVID, Democratic, Washington Post, Apple, Republicans, Facebook, 4chan, Republican Party, Trump, Fox News, Stanford, Davis Locations: Hawaii, Reddit, Greenville , North Carolina, hysterics, New Jersey, New York, Greenville, North Carolina, Central, United States, Bay, San Francisco, Stanford

☆ Google's return-to-office crackdown gets backlash from some employees: 'Check my work, not my badge'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last week, Google updated its hybrid three-day-a-week office policy to include badge tracking and noted attendance will be included in performance reviews. Additionally, employees who already received approval for remote work may now have that status reevaluated. Prior to the pandemic, Google was known for its vibrant campus life, replete with massage parlors, yoga classes, video games and free gourmet meals. But life changed, as did priorities, during the pandemic, when offices were closed and employees were forced to work from home. Staffers moved to different cities and got used to more flexibility and family time while taking advantage of Google's flexible remote work options.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, There's, Fiona Cicconi, Ryan Lamont, hasn't, Leonard Hofstadter, You've Organizations: Google, Shoreline, CNBC, YouTube Locations: Mountain View , California

☆ DeSantis Campaign Uses Apparently Fake Images to Attack Trump on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nicholas Nehamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In turn, Mr. DeSantis’s camp suggested the images were obviously fake, comparing them to memes circulated by Mr. Trump and his allies. But those images — which included a video of Mr. DeSantis in a woman’s suit adapted from “The Office” and a “recording” of a conversation between Mr. DeSantis, Adolf Hitler and the Devil — were clearly intended to be humorous and easy to discern as doctored. Who knows?” The image, which appeared to be photoshopped, had earlier been posted by Mr. Trump on his Truth Social website. “This is the big information security problem of the 21st century,” said Matthew Stamm, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Drexel University who reviewed the images of Mr. Trump and Dr. Fauci and strongly doubted their authenticity. Unlike Mr. DeSantis’s video, the R.N.C.

Persons: DeSantis’s, Trump, DeSantis, Adolf Hitler, Christina Pushaw, ”, Matthew Stamm, Fauci, Biden Organizations: Mr, Twitter, Republican, Drexel University, Republican National Committee Locations: China, Taiwan

☆ Elon Musk says it's a 'good sign' that the founder of his first acquisition as Twitter owner is a 'notorious' trashposter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk often tweets out old memes and enjoys trolling people. And as one user pointed out its founder is "a notorious shitposter," Musk said it was "a good sign." If you've had a look at Elon Musk's tweets, you'll know that he's a big fan of posting fairly dated, and sometimes conspiratorial, memes. "Only fitting that Twitter's first acquisition in the Elon era is a company run by a notorious shitposter," Austen Allred, a tech founder, tweeted Tuesday night in reference to Laskie's founder, Chris Bakke. "I regard that as a good sign :)," Musk replied at around 1.a.m PT.

☆ Fact Check-Galleria Umberto I in Naples built in 1890, not a thousand years prior
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Galleria Umberto I was built between 1887 and 1890 and dedicated to Umberto I, Italy’s king at the time, said Joshua Arthurs, associate professor of history in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Toronto-Scarborough (here). Galleria Umberto I stands between Via Santa Brigida, Via Giuseppe Verdi and Via San Carlo and can be seen on Google Maps (goo.gl/maps/bC1CLDxHmExVokzg7). ARCHITECTURAL FEATURESArchitectural elements seen in Galleria Umberto I could not have been possible a thousand years prior, Arthurs said, and the style is typical of the Renaissance revival in the late 19th century, called “Stile Umbertino,” referring to King Umberto I. MISSING ‘M’Historians interviewed by Reuters could not confirm whether the M was ever missing from the building façade at some point. Galleria Umberto I could not have been built 1,000 years before 1890.

☆ I paid a stranger on Facebook $1,545 for tickets to Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour.' Here's how I avoided getting scammed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Joni Sweet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But like many Swifties, I never got access to Ticketmaster's disastrous presale for the Eras Tour. I posted on a Taylor Swift ticket-selling Facebook groupI turned to Facebook after I didn't hear back from several sellers on Twitter. Joni SweetMy search for Taylor Swift tickets started on Twitter. I had come across @ErasTourResell, an account which connects hopeful concertgoers with people selling their Eras Tour tickets for face value. I searched for terms like "Taylor Swift resell" and "Eras Tour tickets" and joined a few groups that came up.

☆ Welcome to the era of viral AI generated 'news' images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

None of these things actually happened, but AI-generated images depicting them did go viral online over the past week. The images ranged from obviously fake to, in some cases, compellingly real, and they fooled some social media users. There are also concerns that AI-generated images could be used for harassment, or to further drive divided internet users apart. Eliot Higgins, founder and creative director of the investigative group Bellingcat, posted fake images of former President Donald Trump to Twitter last week. Many of the recent viral AI-generated images were created by a tool called Midjourney, a less than year-old platform that allows users to create images based on short text prompts.

☆ Welcome to the era of viral AI generated ‘news’ images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

☆ Fact Check-Britain’s Royal Family did not misspell 'coronation' when unveiling King Charles’ emblem
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An edited screenshot of the British royal family’s announcement that revealed the official emblem for King Charles’ coronation has misled people to believe that the insignia was unveiled with a spelling mistake. The Royal Family Twitter account tweeted the circular red, white, and blue emblem on Feb. 10 (here). But there is no evidence that the royal family ever tweeted the emblem with a spelling mistake. The altered image was first seen on Twitter just minutes after the emblem was officially released to the public(here). The user who first posted the screenshot tweeted that he had photoshopped it himself.

☆ From writing malicious code to creating deepfakes, generative-AI tools like ChatGPT are being used for harmful purposes. Here's how founders and VCs are thinking about policing them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the past few months, some have raved about the capabilities of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Startups policing themselvesSome startups have taken it upon themselves to ensure their products aren't being used for the wrong purposes. In 2020, Resemble AI, a company that can generate voices using AI, released Resemblyzer, an open-source package that can verify speakers and detect fake speech. Despite their bad rap, the majority of deepfakes are used for marketing or entertainment, rather than malicious purposes, Riparbelli told Insider. But already, US government officials are collaborating with AI startups to form partnerships and fund research around these concerns, Ahmed told Insider.

☆ C-SPAN is having a moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Usually, the House forbids independent media coverage of proceedings, meaning that networks must rely on a government feed for coverage. But when there are special events taking place in the House, such as the election for speaker, independent coverage is allowed. In this case, that translates to C-SPAN deploying multiple cameras of its own into the House chamber, giving the public a rare front row view of the high-stakes negotiations between lawmakers. For example, C-SPAN’s cameras showed Republican Rep. Paul Gosar, who has voted against Kevin McCarthy for speaker, on the floor speaking Tuesday with Democratic Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. You don’t see that during standard coverage.”O’Connell noted that C-SPAN would like to be able to do this far more often.

On Tuesday, Tate tweeted at Thunberg, referring to his “33 cars” and their “enormous emissions.”Thunberg responded on Wednesday, making a joke about Tate’s genitals. After Tate’s arrest, posts quickly went viral, speculating that the pizza boxes in the video had been an important factor in locating Tate. But Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for DIICOT, refuted that the pizza boxes had anything to do with Tate’s arrest. On Twitter, many responded to Tate’s days-old Twitter feud with Thunberg with jokes about the interaction and Tate’s arrest. In the video, Afualo said she saw the news about Tate’s arrest.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Scott Perry made statement in digitally altered image
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A fake television graphic circulating on social media contains a statement that Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry denies ever having made. The template for the viral image may have come from a June 23 report on WGAL about Perry (here). A side-by-side comparison of the June graphic from WGAL (top) and the viral image shared on social media (bottom) can be seen (imgur.com/a/t7bob2b). The font of the alleged quote shared online is similar, but not identical, to the font in the June WGAL graphic. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

☆ Kabosu: 'Doge' meme shiba inu is seriously ill with leukemia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Tara Mulholland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Kabosu, the internet-famous dog who inspired the “doge” meme and influenced digital culture for a decade, is seriously ill with leukemia and liver disease. While Sato said Kabosu’s appetite had returned, she had previously blogged that the dog was moving around less, and more slowly. It reached a peak value of more than $400 in 2014, and is considered the first “meme coin” or satire of cryptocurrency. After it raised funds for the Ukrainian military, the country’s Ministry of Defense tweeted its thanks with a photoshopped image of a shiba inu in fatigues. In Sato’s most recent posts about Kabosu, she said the dog was “in a very dangerous condition” and appeared to be jaundiced, but was also taking antibiotics.

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Vision Express shop window advert offering ‘free rectal photography’ is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media users are sharing a photo of a Vision Express advert in a shop window that offers “Free rectal photography”. However, the image has been digitally altered, according to the British optician company, and originally read: “Free retinal photography.”The picture was shared on a Facebook page (here), where it has amassed more than 230 interactions. Metro wrote: “A spokeswoman for the optician told metro.co.uk: ‘We can confirm that the photograph of the front of the Vision Express store in Clevedon has been photoshopped. Similar Vision Express adverts from 2015 offering “free retinal photography” can be seen here and here. The original Vision Express shop window advert was offering free retinal photography.

☆ Fact Check-Purported Matt Walsh tweet about consent is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A tweet attributed to conservative commentator Matt Walsh about consent and sexual assault that is circulating on social media is fabricated. The fake post appears to have originated on Reddit and Walsh himself has described it as photoshopped. Entries in that same subreddit discussing how the fabricated screenshot was being mistaken for an authentic post are viewable (here) (here)On Dec. 2, Walsh responded to a now deleted tweet featuring the fake screenshot. Matt Walsh did not tweet this message about consent and sexual assault. Correction Dec. 6, 2022: Corrects paragraph seven to say the tweet was sent on Dec. 2, not Dec. 1This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

☆ Elon Musk's joke about putting the cocaine back in Coca-Cola has been framed and hung in the lobby at Twitter's HQ, staffer says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A viral Elon Musk tweet about putting cocaine in Coca-Cola has been framed and hung at Twitter's HQ. An image — with the location tagged as Twitter's main San Francisco office — shows three framed tweets displayed against a blue wall. There were even fake Musk tweets photoshopped before the real Musk tweeted the gag himself. The framed tweets were shared by a senior engineer at Twitter, whose LinkedIn profile appears to confirm his employment status. It's unclear how long the framed tweets have all been up.

☆ CNN tells Elon Musk to 'be better' after the billionaire shared a fake headline on Twitter to criticize the network
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

CNN criticized Elon Musk on Monday after he shared a fake headline on Twitter. Be better," CNN wrote in response to a tweet from Musk. Musk on Monday morning posted a photoshopped image with the headline: "CNN: Elon Musk could threaten free speech on Twitter by literally allowing people to speak freely." Be better," CNN wrote. The image Musk posted Monday first circulated in April and is now making the rounds on social media again.

☆ GOP Rep. Mayra Flores immediately blamed voters for staying home after she lost a competitive House seat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

GOP Rep. Mayra Flores slammed voters for staying home after she lost a competitive House seat. Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez defeated Flores in Texas' 34th Congressional District. Flores lost to Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez on Tuesday in Texas' 34th Congressional District, which was a rare contest between two sitting members of Congress. But early election results show Democrats holding stronger than expected, picking up toss-up races and holding competitive districts. Early Wednesday morning after the race was called against her, Flores thanked those who "invested" in her campaign.

☆ Elon Musk wistfully shared a meme on Twitter with an image of a Nazi soldier carrying messenger pigeons
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk shared a meme to Twitter on Monday that included a photo of a Nazi soldier. "How times have changed," the billionaire wrote above the edited photo which showed notification bubbles near a box of messenger pigeonsThe picture was taken of a German soldier in May 1940 in France, according to Getty Images. "How times have changed," the billionaire wrote in his tweet. "Back when birds were real," Musk later wrote in a follow-up tweet, before adding additional commentary with a head-exploding emoji. The photo that Musk shared was of a German soldier and his pigeons captured in May 1940 in France, according to Getty Images.

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