Did X user @iamasoothsayer write in 2022, "2026: Hantavirus"? Yes, that's true: The original post, from June 2022, read, "2023: Corona ended" and "2026: Hantavirus." A copy of the post was archived by The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine in 2022. X's user documentation does not currently list a way for users to retroactively edit the publication date or time of…

In a real social media post, did President Donald Trump say, "I am very close to deciding if I will run again in 2028"? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. While Trump has suggested the possibility of running for…

Is it illegal to leave a three-star Google restaurant review in Germany? No, that's not true: It is legal to leave a three-star review, but German law supports the restaurant's commercial reputation. If a business challenges reviews as defamatory Google will remove them, with provisions for the reviewer to appeal. Where reviews are removed, Google displays a non-exact count --…

Did European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ban laptops from cafés in the European Union? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that von der Leyen ever ordered such a ban. The creator of the post that made the original claim also admitted that it was "shitposting" and should not be taken seriously. The claim appeared in…

Did President Donald Trump, in a social media post, repeat the protest slogan "MERZ, LICK EGGS" about the German chancellor and suggest the United States might "take over" Germany? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. Trump has been critical…

Does a viral video capture a real fight between Brazilian soccer players Neymar and Robinho Júnior? No, that's not true: The clip contained glitches typical of AI-generated content. Neymar was not part of that soccer club when the video's timestamp suggested the incident took place. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on May 5, 2026.…

Does a viral image show a real bus converted into a mobile grocery store in contemporary Denmark? No, that's not true: The image was a product of generative AI. Contrary to viral posts, mobile grocery stores are not a recent invention -- they have been in use in Europe at least since 1956. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Does a video show a Russian submarine arriving in Havana, Cuba, in May 2026? No, that's not true: The footage dates back to June 2024, when a nuclear-powered Russian submarine and three Russian warships arrived in Havana as part of a port visit coinciding with Russian naval exercises in the Caribbean. The clip resurfaced in social media posts falsely claiming…

Did the United States have an election with 133 million registered voters in which 159 million votes were cast? No, that's not true: Official government figures for national elections do not support that claim. More than 158 million Americans cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election, but more than 168 million were registered to vote. The claim appeared in a…

Does a viral video show Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce attending the 2026 Met Gala? No, that's not true: Kelce skipped the event. The video showed singer Sam Smith. The claim appeared in a post by the account @C_3C_3 published on X on May 4, 2026 (archived here and here). It read: Travis Kelce looks absurd. This is…