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Fake news

Disinformation, misinformation and fake news are often intentionally spread for political purposes via social media platforms.

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All Content on this topic

Screenshot of a collage posted on the social media platform X claiming to show a Paris car salesman, a Bugatti sports car, and an invoice for the sale thereof

Fact check: New fakes on Zelenskyy's purported wealth

Someone claiming to be a car dealer says Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska just bought a million-dollar sports car.
PoliticsJuly 3, 2024
US Supreme Court in Washington DC

Biden administration in the clear over social media contacts

US officials had faced trouble for urging the social media firms to remove posts deemed to be spreading misinformation.
PoliticsJune 26, 2024
Attendees sit in concentric circles around a panel at the Global Media Forum 2024

How can media react to disinformation, climate change?

Speakers at DW's Global Media Forum discussed what journalists can do when humanity's biggest issues intersect.
MediaJune 18, 2024
Computer l Sucht l Fake News l Symbolbild

How to spot fake content online

How can you recognize and verify fake news when you see them online? Here are some tips from the DW fact check team.
SocietyJune 18, 2024
A group of people in an auditorium

Fake news offers unexpected opportunities for trusted media

Media users are aware of disinformation and are searching for trusted sources, delegates at DW's Global Media Forum say.
MediaJune 17, 2024
Social media icons logo displayed on a smartphone with disinformation on screen seen in the background,

Joint efforts needed to combat disinformation

Fake news is fueling anti-democratic forces around the world, says global report.
TechnologyJune 13, 2024
The official Euro 2024 ball is presented in Stuttgart

Fact check: Euro 2024 scams and false fines explained

Fake jerseys? Fake tickets? Fake volunteers? With rumors swirling, let's uncover some of the misinformation.
SportsJune 11, 2024
Screen shot of Andy Boreham's tweet.

Fact check: Was China's Tiananmen massacre a US-led myth?

A viral post on X claims the Tiananmen massacre was a US-led 'myth.' DW explains why this post is misleading.
Human RightsJune 8, 2024
A picture of a cellphone screen purporting to show an AfD ad encouraging voters to sign their ballots as a way to safeguard against vote fraud

Fact check: EU elections and fake news about ballot fraud

The EU is awash with disinformation regarding voting rules in the run-up to parliamentary elections.
PoliticsJune 7, 2024
A man offers insects on a spoon

Bug meat and other fake news inundate EU voters

Conspiracy theorists are trying to influence European election campaigns with disinformation and lies.
PoliticsJune 7, 2024
DW Podcast | Inside Europe | provisorisch f ROAD

Inside Europe 6 June 2024

EU elections special with analysis from DW's Jack Parrock. How is Brussels battling disinformation? What's important to Gen Z voters? Who’s afraid of Georgia Meloni? Why would Germans with migration backgrounds vote AfD? How is Robert Fico’s brush with death playing in Slovakia? Is the road running out for the European dream of borderless travel? And what’s at stake for Ukraine?
PoliticsJune 6, 202455:00 min
Screenshot of posts with fake quote "The moon is more useful than the sun, since the moon gives us light at night when it's dark. The sun only gives us light during the day, when it's already light out." with pictures of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lauren Boebert

Fact check: How to spot fake quotes on social media?

DW's fact-checking team explains how to find out if a statement of a celebrity shared on social media is true or not.
Digital WorldJune 5, 2024
A view of the European Parliament plenary building from above, with members seated as a person speaks

Russian disinformation network targets EU elections

Efforts to counter Russian disinformation are moving into overdrive in the days before the European elections.
PoliticsJune 4, 202403:29 min
DW Fact checking False Palestinian TV show 'Nazeef al Torab (Bleeding Dirt)

Fact check: Misinformation on Rafah offensive

Since the start of Israel's Rafah offensive, videos and photos have been spreading online, making false claims.
PoliticsMay 31, 2024
A group of people stand under a banner that reads "European Elections" in Brussels

After Slovakia, EU elections face digital threats

Digital deepfakes can influence elections at the last minute. A recent case in point: Slovakia.
SocietyMay 27, 202404:21 min
A herd of woolly mammoths walking in a wintry landscape

With the rise of AI, will we be able to trust images?

OpenAI's Sora video creation software, the next step in the AI revolution, is both fascinating and frightening.
Digital WorldMay 25, 202405:16 min
Deutschland | Omas gegen rechts

Focus on Europe - Spotlight on People

Right-wing populists could make strong gains in the European elections at the beginning of June.
SocietyMay 23, 202426:03 min
King, De Niro manipulated content showing alleged support for Israel and Palestine.

Fact check: Celebrity support for Palestinians or Israelis?

Though some stars have taken public stances, others have become the subjects of fake stories.
PoliticsMay 15, 2024
Three images, one of a girl, one of a bar of chocolate, and one of a woman shaking Adolf Hitler's hands are marked with the word "fake"

Fact check: How to spot fake news ahead of EU elections

DW Fact Check presents examples of how deepfakes, spoofing and the like are trying to mislead us.
PoliticsMay 12, 2024
Large number of journalists wearing "Free the press" badges attend a protest meet organised at the Press Club of India in New Delhi:

Press freedom under attack, watchdog index shows

Reporters Without Borders has cautioned of declining state support for press freedom around the world.
Press FreedomMay 3, 2024
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp apps icons displayed on a smartphone backdropped by Meta Platforms logo

EU probes Facebook, Instagram over election disinformation

The probe relates to the handling of political advertising ahead of EU elections.
PoliticsApril 30, 2024
A compilation of screenshots of India's President Narendra Modi, a fake photo proporting to be French President Emanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden speaking on the phone.

Fact check: How AI may influence elections in 2024

AI deepfakes could upend elections in a year when more than 40% of the world is voting, including India and the US.
PoliticsApril 26, 202416:32 min
external

Fact check: Fake videos from Iran's attack on Israel

The missiles and drones Iran fired on Israel brought with them a wave of fakes and misleading claims online.
ConflictsApril 16, 202404:13 min
Olympic rings in the foreground, the Eiffel Tower in the background and people between

France fights disinformation as Olympics, elections loom

With the Olympics in July and EU elections in June, France is ramping up its fight against information manipulation.
ConflictsApril 12, 2024
A collage of a screenshot from a fake news website claiming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bought a mansion once belonging to King Charless III, who is also seen in the image, as is the home, and the king's former butler

Fact check: Did Zelenskyy buy King Charles' Highgrove House?

A website that wants you to think it's a UK-based media outlet claims Zelenskyy has bought the Highgrove House mansion.
PoliticsApril 10, 2024
Elon Musk is seen beside a large 'X' logo

Musk feuds with Brazil's top judge over X

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has accused a Brazilian Supreme Court justice of censoring X, his social media platform.
PoliticsApril 10, 2024
The Telegram app in the Apple app store seen on a smartphone

Is Telegram a threat to Ukraine's national security?

Ukraine is considering banning Telegram to stop the spread of pro-Russian misinformation on the messenger app.
MediaApril 5, 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korea battling deepfakes ahead of key election

The problem of disinformation could further overshadow an election campaign that is already fractious.
PoliticsApril 1, 2024
A view of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kremlin Tower in Moscow

Germany braces for Russian influence operations

Germany's interior minister has warned of "hybrid warfare" by Russia. What does that mean?
PoliticsMarch 26, 2024
Factchecking-Imagevideo

How DW's fact-checking team works

DW's fact-check team debunks, explains and uses in-depth research techniques to separate fact from fiction.
PoliticsMarch 18, 202410:37 min
DW Sendung To The Point | TTPE Totale

Russia's hybrid warfare: the real threat to the West?

Espionage and cyberattacks: How successful is Putin's hybrid war against the West?
ConflictsMarch 14, 202426:06 min
Collage of stills created by Sora

Fact check: How to spot AI videos by Sora

AI-generated videos can be used to spread disinformation and fake news. Here's how to recognize Sora videos.
TechnologyMarch 10, 202406:29 min
Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits soldiers

Fact check: Russian fake news targets Ukraine's Zelenskyy

From lavish shoping sprees to yachts, dubious accusations swirl around Ukraine's president. DW Fact Check investigates.
PoliticsFebruary 23, 2024
Two people comfort each other while looking at the rubble after a Russian attack in Kharkiv

Russia using disinformation to deny Ukraine atrocities

Two years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, war rages on as civilians bear the brunt of its relentless missile attacks.
ConflictsFebruary 21, 202401:42 min
Agnese Logina, Latvian Culture Minister

Latvia 'taking steps to strengthen mediascape'

In an interview with DW, Latvian Culture Minister Agnese Logina expressed concern over Russian disinformation.
PoliticsFebruary 19, 202406:01 min
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift walk together on the field after a game, smiling

Fact check: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and the Super Bowl

Countless conspiracy theories are circulating online about Taylor Swift. DW fact-checked three related to the NFL.
SportsFebruary 12, 2024
Three faces side by side beneath the text "disinformation in Pakistan's elections"

Fact check: Pakistan's election marred by disinformation

Artificial intelligence has had an impact on the election in Pakistan. Who is spreading disinformation? And how?
PoliticsFebruary 5, 202409:28 min
A man in a black coat sticks a white piece of paper in a black box with the words "ballot box" in white on the side

EU elections a 'prime target' for disinformation

The EU's Josep Borrell warned about disinformation from abroad. But much of it comes from EU politicians themselves.
PoliticsJanuary 25, 2024
A sign saying "Protect Trans Kids" held up by a demonstrator a CSD parade in Erfurt in September 2023.

Germany's trans community battles right-wing falsehoods

Far-right actors are using disinformation against transgender people as a way to push their own political agendas.
SocietyJanuary 24, 2024
People hold a sign made of LED lights that says ''Not A Hoax'' during a rally in San Diego

What is climate misinformation, and why does it matter?

Opponents of climate science have ways of sowing doubt around climate change. And that can restrict urgent action.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 23, 2024
A massive crowd seen gathered under the motto 'Stand Up Hamburg!' on Friday

Fact check: Far right claim media inflating size of protests

Far-right politicians and social media users have claimed pictures of protests in Germany were manipulated.
PoliticsJanuary 22, 2024
A woman holds a newspaper with "Fake News" on the left page

Democrats vs. Republicans: Who spots fake news more?

A study finds party affiliation, gender and education are linked with the ability to discern fake and true news.
MediaJanuary 22, 2024
Screengrabs of videos on social media

Fact check: These earthquake videos from Japan are recycled

Out-of-context videos are circulating on social media following this week's major earthquake in Japan.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 3, 2024
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen (L), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy(C) and European Council President Charles Michel (R) walking next to journalists at a special European Council summit in Brussels

How is the EU countering Russian disinformation?

DW's Teri Schultz got a look inside the EU operation set up to counter Moscow's false narratives and fake accounts.
MediaDecember 22, 202305:40 min
Screenshot a video showing blurry pictures of five men in a closed area.

Fact check: Video does not depict Israeli war crimes

Images circulating online claim to show Israeli atrocities in Gaza, but they originate from Syria's civil war.
ConflictsDecember 20, 2023
external

How to spot disinformation in the Israel-Hamas war

The Israel-Hamas war has been marked by a wave of disinformation. Here are three tips to help you debunk fakes.
ConflictsDecember 15, 202303:44 min
Social media apps on a smartphone

How to reach DW Fact check

DW encourages readers to submit topics and content for fact-checking and verification. Here is how you can reach us.
SocietyDecember 13, 2023
Fumbua | Sendung SHIFT

Taking action against misinformation

An influencer from Kenya makes TikToks about political issues that are accurate and funny.
Digital WorldDecember 7, 202302:03 min
Illustration of man's face with grid superimposed and audio wave in background

How do I spot a deepfake?

It's difficult to know if a video is real using just your eyes and ears. But there are some ways to spot them.
TechnologyDecember 6, 2023
Kommunikationsplattform X I Elon Musk

Fewer fact checks, more disinformation

Social media has a giant impact on elections, so it's important that lies are exposed quickly.
Digital WorldDecember 4, 202301:22 min