Ahead of England’s next World Cup match, we’ve seen lots of claims about Mexico’s home advantage - so we’ve done a little number crunching. The stats show Mexico are formidable at the Azteca… but so is England’s away record. 🇲🇽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

False claims that the twin earthquakes in Venezuela were "engineered" by HAARP, a research project studying the Earth’s atmosphere, have been shared online. But experts say HAARP cannot create or amplify earthquakes. fullfact.org/environment/...

We’ve seen two clips circulating online with claims they show traffic lights “melting” due to the recent heatwaves in Europe. But these videos actually show fire damage in Italy and Germany unrelated to heatwaves.

Last month an image was widely shared on social media with claims that it showed migrants getting out of a lorry on the M62. But there’s no evidence this is a real image, and good reason to think it’s AI. Here’s why 👇

An image of Andy Burnham’s return to Parliament has been edited to make it appear as if he is standing next to several women who are wearing Islamic dress. These women are not in the real photo posted by Lucy Powell MP. fullfact.org/politics/and...

Sunscreen *does not* raise your risk of skin cancer, despite what you might read on social media. This is all down to a classic misunderstanding of a scientific paper. We explain 👇

A viral video of police officers loading a mannequin into a van has been shared with claims the “Pakistani community complained about its ‘immodest clothing’”. This simply isn’t true. The clip is actually from a protest against the Palestine Action ban.

A video that appears to show a Royal Navy officer stating during an interview that illegal immigration across the English Channel is a “direct violation of British sovereign waters” is gaining traction online. But it’s an AI-generated fake.

A government spokesperson has been quoted by the media as saying the UK is spending an “extra” £270 bn on defence. This figure was the total planned spend outlined in the 2025 Spending Review, though a £15 bn rise was announced today.)

Earlier this month a video was shared online with claims that it shows police at a protest in Sheffield detaining a person who later died. But that isn’t true. The 17-year-old boy did not die - he was taken to hospital but later discharged himself.

You might have seen reports last month that the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said social media was as bad for children smoking. Well, that *isn’t* what its statement said. It compared doctors’ reactions to social media and smoking—it didn’t compare how harmful they are.

A picture is circulating on social media with false claims it shows a massive traffic jam of cars trying to leave Russian-annexed Crimea due to recent fuel shortages. But the image is actually from Armenia in April.

A video claims to show massive crowds "shutting down London" to demand halal food standards. But this supposed footage is AI-generated and entirely fake, despite hundreds of comments appearing to believe it’s genuine.

What progress has Sir Keir Starmer made in delivering the Labour manifesto’s ‘first steps for change’? In the week he announced his resignation, here’s our Government Tracker’s verdict.

The government has said the number of asylum hotels in use is now 170, down from 213 in July 2024. We’re rating Labour’s pledge to “end asylum hotels” as ‘in progress’. Here’s why 👇

Covering recent elections in England, Wales and Scotland, we found AI imagery is no longer hypothetical: it's here, and it's throwing up fresh challenges. But we've also been using AI in new ways to fight back. Our editor Steve Nowottny wrote about how for @niemanlab.org 👇

An announcement that from next year interest paid on cash held in stocks and shares ISAs will be taxed at 22% has caused confusion online. We explain what’s actually happening 👇

The Conservatives have reportedly said they plan to correct a claim about welfare spending in their Alternative King’s Speech, following our fact check and a UK Statistics Authority letter. We welcome this - but this is a claim we’ve seen many times. (1/2)

Posts shared thousands of times online claim that a local housing provider in Grimsby has bought £23 million worth of new houses exclusively for immigrants. But this simply isn’t true.

A video from 2015 showing warehouse explosions in Tianjin, China, has been miscaptioned and falsely shared as a Russian attack on Ukraine. The posts also falsely claim the attack killed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but there is no evidence to support this.

The UK Statistics Authority has written to Kemi Badenoch today, following our fact check of her inaccurate claim that the total welfare bill is now higher than income tax receipts “for the first time ever”. We hope she will correct the record soon.

We're now recruiting two journalists (one permanent, one on a 6-12 month contract) to help us tackle online misinformation and debunk misleading claims on social media. Full details (including on salary) here 👇

A number of posts on social media have incorrectly named the person arrested in connection to a crocodile attack that injured a three-year-old as ‘Adanawa Bolwada’. Police say this is not the person’s name. Here’s what we know 👇

What’s happened to the economy, immigration and that £350 million pledge since Brexit? Ten years on from the referendum, we’ve answered some of your questions about the impact of the UK leaving the EU 👇

Following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation announcement today, we’ve seen claims that he will be entitled to a £115,000-a-year “pension” as a former Prime Minister. This is misleading. Here’s what that figure actually refers to 👇

A video of a plane being shot down has been shared with claims it shows Iranian fighter jets attempting to enter Israeli airspace. But this clip isn’t real. It’s actually from the video game War Thunder.

We’ve spotted several posts circulating online claiming that Iranian football player Mohammad Mohebbi was deported after Iran’s first World Cup game against New Zealand. This isn’t true. The Department of Homeland Security described these claims as “a hoax”.

An image shared before the Makerfield by-election seemed to show Reform councillors next to a banner mentioning Jimmy Savile, but some said it was a fake version of another picture. Here’s what we now know about the images (and what an AI expert told us).

We're looking for a Journalist to join our editorial team on a 6-12 month contract, to help us tackle online misinformation and debunk misleading claims on social media. Apply here:

Nigel Farage said in a video Reform UK was pleased to come second in last night’s Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election. But it didn’t. Reform came third, by 183 votes.

A viral image of an Iran footballer holding up a pink backpack isn’t real. The picture contains a SynthID watermark that shows it was generated using OpenAI tools. fullfact.org/sport/photo-...

A stronger democratic information environment can protect future elections. That means long-term investment in media literacy, clearer institutional coordination, and better visibility for high-quality public interest information. Our recommendations:

A video of a plane being shot down has been shared with claims it shows Iranian fighter jets attempting to enter Israeli airspace. But this clip isn’t real. It’s actually from the video game War Thunder.

A video of a property on fire is being shared with misleading claims that it shows an HMO being set alight as part of recent disorder in Belfast. But the footage is actually from a separate incident in Ballymena which occurred a year earlier, in June 2025.

Ahead of the Makerfield by-election tomorrow, we’ve taken a look at what the latest polling shows - as well as some questionable vote share predictions circulating on social media.

Deputy PM David Lammy said during #PMQs: “Net migration is down under us, 82%.” That’s not quite right, as we wrote last week, because it compares the latest figures with the peak in 2023. The fall that happened *under Labour* is more like 74%. [1/2]

Images circulating on social media show what appears to be a Reform UK leaflet claiming that “380 illegal boat migrants” live in Makerfield. Here’s what we know about that figure, and why it isn’t reliable👇

We're looking for an Associate Product Manager to help engage and grow Full Fact's audience. You'll work across our website and email channels, using data-driven insights to improve acquisition, retention, and user journeys. Apply here:

“The question is not whether AI will transform public life. It already is. The question is whether democratic societies retain the capacity to shape the terms on which that transformation occurs.” Baroness Kidron OBE writes for our seventh annual report. Read it here:

We’ve spotted an old video of a fire in the UAE circulating online again, this time with false claims it shows the aftermath of a recent Iranian attack on energy infrastructure in Tel Aviv.

@mahsaalimardani.bsky.social, Associate Director, Technology Threats and Opportunities at @witnessorg.bsky.social reads an extract from her essay ‘Layered trust signals, not silver bullets: what Iran shows the UK about AI and public trust’ which is featured in the 2026 Full Fact Report.

We’re looking for our next Head of AI. This is a senior role with real autonomy, meaningful mission, and genuine influence at the intersection of AI, journalism, and public policy. Apply here:

AI-powered search tools and chatbots are rapidly becoming routine entry points for political information. Our new report calls for consistent labelling, clear communication of sources, and the introduction of systemic risk management duties.

Thanks to the Daily Mail for correcting a column which claimed welfare spending has overtaken income tax receipts “for the first time”. (Welfare, which includes state pensions, has been higher for years—although income tax may overtake it this year.)

During a recent BBC Makerfield by-election debate, Labour’s Andy Burnham and the Conservatives’ Michael Winstanley made seemingly contrasting claims over net migration, and which party is responsible for the recent decrease. So who’s right?

Social media posts claiming that Vickrum Digwa has been attacked in prison have been shared thousands of times online. But the Ministry of Justice told us this isn’t true.

When people no longer know what information can be trusted, public debate fragments and political disengagement grows. Trust, once lost, becomes far harder to rebuild. Our new report sets out what the UK must do now to prepare for this reality.

A video is being shared widely on social media with claims it shows the city of Belfast burning during recent unrest. But the clip actually shows the aftermath of a gas pipeline explosion in Russia, and has nothing to do with the disorder in Northern Ireland.

A video of people kneeling in the street has been shared with false claims it shows Polish people paying tribute to Henry Nowak. This isn’t correct. The clip actually shows a Corpus Christi procession in the country.

An image circulating online claims to show a huge anti-Reform rally in Wigan ahead of the Makerfield by-election. But this picture isn't real - it was generated using AI and doesn’t match real locations in Wigan.