Shamima Begum is not back in the UK
This claim regularly reappears and has always been false. Read
Fact check
Social media
Fact checks of content undertaken as part of Full Fact’s work on the Third Party Fact Checking Programme with Facebook
This viral post on benefits and tax avoidance is inaccurate
It underestimates the spending on benefits for people seeking asylum and uses a disputed estimate of the tax gap to talk about tax avoidance. Read
Fact check
Fact checkers need to work together to create better models for distributing our fact checks online
Partnerships with internet platforms are vital for fact checkers to tackle misinformation at a global scale. Read
Comment
Challenging someone for not wearing a face mask isn’t against the Equality Act
It has been claimed on social media that challenging someone who is not wearing a face covering could result in a fine. Read
Fact check
A picture of Sadiq Khan just before his flu jab doesn’t show he didn’t get it
A photo of a pharmacist preparing to give the Mayor of London his flu vaccination has gone viral. Read
Fact check
A Covid-19 diagnostic test won’t pick up other coronaviruses
Antibody tests which detect whether someone had Covid-19 in the past may pick up antibodies to other coronaviruses. Read
Fact check
What are the facts behind claims of a child-snatching panic on social media?
Some claims of gangs trying to steal children seem to be exaggerated. Read
Fact check
Punishments for not wearing face coverings, not social distancing and for possessing indecent images of children vary depending on the exact offence
One post comparing punishments has over 20,000 shares on Facebook. Read
Fact check
Health
Serco didn’t build and does not run the NHS Test and Trace app
Serco has been contracted during the pandemic to assist with facilities management and contact tracing call centres. Read
Fact check
It’s true that women escaping domestic abuse can get a free train ticket in Great Britain if they are travelling to refuge accommodation
A social media post shared tens of thousands of times makes claims about the Rail to refuge Scheme. Read
Fact check
Evidence you can rely on
Fact checking claims made by politicians, public figures and viral online content can give you the full picture backed by the evidence.
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