WebQoof Recap: Of Misinformation Around Manipur, Imran Khan’s Arrest and More
Social media was abuzz with false claims around Karnataka Elections and BBC News this week.
WebQoof Recap | Here are The Quint's top five fact-check stories from this week.
(Photo: Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint)
From users sharing unrelated visuals linking them to violence in Manipur to fake claims around former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest, here are the some of the most viral pieces of misinformation from this week.
1. Fact-Check: Video of People Firing Guns Falsely Linked To Manipur Violence
After violence gripped Manipur, a video which showed three people firing away was shared on the internet claiming that it showed people from Kuki community firing shots at the Meitei community.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
However, we could trace the video back to at least 2020 which predates the violence in Manipur.
Read our full story here.
2. Video Shows Protest Outside Nawaz Sharif’s House After Imran Khan’s Arrest? No!
Ashok Swain, among others, shared a video claiming that it showed people protesting outside former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif's house in London over the arrest of former PM Imran Khan.
However, we found that the video dated back to April 2022 and was unrelated to Khan's arrest.
The video was old and unrelated to Khan's arrest.
Read our fact-check here.
3. Fact-Check: Old Visuals Incorrectly Linked To Recent Violence in Manipur
An archive of the post can be seen here.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
Team WebQoof found that all the images were from 2016 when the state witnessed violent protests over economic blockade imposed by United Naga Council (UNC).
Read our full story here.
4. Is This a Video of People Destroying EVMs Found in BJP Leader’s Car? No!
A video of several people breaking Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and overturning a car is being shared with users claiming that the EVMs were found in a Bharatiya Janata Party leader's car in Karnataka which was attacked by locals.
Gujarat Congress' Chairman for the Scheduled Castes Department Hitendra Pithadiya, among others, shared the video with a similar claim in the backdrop of the Karnataka Assembly elections.
The viral claim was false.
In reality, the locals were seen destroying additional EVMs in Masabinal village in Karnataka's Vijayapura district that were being transported in a car by election officials.
Vijayapura SP Anand Kumar told The Quint, "People mistook that EVM machines were being illegally carried before the conclusion of polling and destroyed it."
Read our fact-check here.
5. Did BBC News Tweet in Support of 'The Kerala Story'? No, It's a Fake Tweet!
People on social media shared a screenshot of a tweet purportedly shared by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) claiming that the media organisation is encouraging people to watch the recently released movie The Kerala Story.
An archive of the post can be seen here.
The truth is that the screenshot was fabricated and no such tweet was posted by BBC News.
Read our full story here.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)