Truth or Fake

Jan 30 2025 24 ep. 5 mins 69
Truth or Fake Podcast artwork

Truth or Fake is a fact-checking rendez-vous in association with the FRANCE 24 Observers. Our content focuses on false images circulating online and how to identify them. Monday to Friday at 8:45pm and 10:20pm Paris time.

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Did the Biden administration really give $50 million for condoms in Gaza? No

Jan 30 2025 5 mins  
The White House and most recently US President Donald Trump himself are claiming that they stopped $50 million in funding by the Biden administration for condoms in Gaza. Trump further alleges that the contraceptives were used by Hamas "as a method of making bombs". We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.

No, these images don't show massive immigration raids ordered by Trump

Jan 29 2025 6 mins  
After US President Donald Trump announced that he would be deporting "millions and millions" of immigrants from the US, some users starting sharing fake videos purporting to show the immigration raids underway. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.

No, the Mona Lisa isn't being 'sold' to finance the Louvre renovations

Jan 28 2025 6 mins  
After French President Emmanuel Macron announced grand renovation plans for the Louvre museum in Paris, social media saw millions of views on a fake story about the star attraction – the Mona Lisa – being sold to finance the overhaul. The painting is not for sale, but is being moved to a new exhibition room. The falsehood originated from a French parody media, and spread furthe

No, these Democratic politicians did not make the same arm gesture as Elon Musk

Jan 27 2025 5 mins  
A photomontage of four Democratic politicians – Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris – has racked up over 150 million views on X, claiming to show them making what has been likened to a "Nazi salute", similar to the arm gesture Elon Musk was criticised for at Donald Trump’s inauguration. These images are stripped of their context and are all taken

Did META force users to follow Donald Trump and JD Vance on Facebook?

Jan 23 2025 5 mins  
After President Donald Trump’s inauguration, some users noticed that they were following Donald Trump, JD Vance, Melania Trump and the White House on Facebook and Instagram. Many users claim that this was done without their permission and that they are being blocked from unfollowing them. We explain why this occurred in this edition of Truth or Fake.

No, Usha Vance's US citizenship will not be revoked

Jan 22 2025 5 mins  
This week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship in the United States. Viral claims started circulating shortly afterwards on X, asserting that Usha Vance, the first Indian-origin Second Lady, would lose her US citizenship as a result. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake. We also take a closer look at the major legal c

Did Musk give a Nazi salute at Trump's inauguration parade?

Jan 21 2025 5 mins  
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump, ignited online backlash after two back-to-back hand gestures he made at Trump's presidential inauguration. While some say the salutatory gesture is an unambiguous Nazi salute that's normalising Nazism in 2025, others say it's a moment of social awkwardness by a man who has autism. Vedika Bahl goes

How an AI Brad Pitt conned a woman out of €830,000, triggering online mockery

Jan 16 2025 6 mins  
Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt has put out a statement after a French woman was swindled into sending her life savings – €830,000 – after being scammed by his AI likeness. The woman appeared on primetime television on French channel TF1, claiming the fraudster sent daily photos, videos and even IDs as Brad Pitt, claiming the money was needed for secret cancer treatment. Her sto

Gaza ceasefire deal: What we know

Jan 15 2025 4 mins  
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has been reportedly agreed on, after a devastating 15 months of war in Gaza. The deal is divided into three different phases – we explain the details in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Speculation over HMPV virus infects social media

Jan 14 2025 6 mins  
The surge in cases of the flu-like HMPV virus in northern China has raised fears of another Covid-style pandemic. Users on social media are spreading alarmist claims such as fake lockdown announcements, states of emergency and mortality rates. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.