Health
Vaccines do not cause autism, despite reported rises
A social media post seems to imply that increasing vaccine doses have caused increases in autism cases, but that’s not true. Read
Fact check
Leo Benedictus
Journalist
Leo joined Full Fact in January 2020. For 15 years, he worked freelance as a feature writer for the Guardian, Prospect, the New Scientist and others, making maps of immigration, explaining citizens’ assemblies and debunking superfoods. He has a fondness for science and statistics. He also writes novels.
Health
Government research doesn’t prove screen time ‘damages’ toddlers’ speech
A study found a correlation between very high screen time and lower vocabulary in two-year-olds, but it didn’t say that one caused the other. Read
Fact check
Health
Ads for plain porridge oats have not been banned
News reports this week claimed that ads for porridge will be restricted by new legislation—but the ban only affects porridge products that score highly in a “less healthy” test. Read
Fact check
Politics
No, Prince William did not give a speech that prompted three cabinet ministers to resign
A political crisis in a video report being shared on social media is completely fabricated. Read
Fact check
Culture & Society
Picture of ‘pink ladies of Epping’ isn’t real
The image being shared on social media was generated with AI, as shown by various glitches and the watermark on the original version. Read
Fact check
Health
Resident doctors’ 29% pay rise was over a three-year period
Labour MP Oliver Ryan and some on social media have said resident doctors got a 29% rise “last year”, but the increase was actually over multiple years. Read
Fact check
Health
Have resident doctors really had a 21% real-terms pay cut?
The figure cited by the BMA is based on an unreliable measure of inflation. Other measures suggest the drop has been less. Our analysis using a measure backed by the Royal Statistical Society puts the fall since 2008/9 at more like 6-7%. Read
Fact check
Health
Revealed: how academics are being deepfaked on TikTok and Instagram to promote supplements
Strange videos of a professor offering cures for “thermometer leg” led Full Fact to uncover an army of social media accounts promoting wellness products with fake AI ‘endorsements’. Read
Analysis
Politics
The UK Supreme Court hasn’t just ordered a general election
The news announced in a Facebook video has no basis in fact. Read
Fact check
Environment
You won’t be charged £300 for using too much electricity after 9pm
This is the latest fake policy to curb personal freedoms that we’ve seen being shared on Facebook. Read
Fact check
