A clip from an old Russian TV report has been shared by thousands of Slovak users with the claim that it shows a “fair for same-sex couples” in Belgium in which there were “legal auctions of children”. This is a false characterisation of the event.
Czech President Petr Pavel spoke at a recent Czech Radio conference about the need to provide Ukraine with as much support as possible and warned of the spread of pro-Russian disinformation. That same day, a video went viral on social media that seemed to show Pavel had said the opposite. By cutting key words from the original footage, the edited clip made it sound as though Pavel had accused the West of “manipulating” Ukraine to “fight against Russia”.
Four- and five-digit codes on stickers affixed to fruit and vegetables are used to control inventory and facilitate the checkout process. Yet, misleading posts that went viral on Facebook continue to claim that the numbers make it possible to know whether the produce had been genetically modified. This is false, industry representatives said. While the consumer can identify whether an item is organic from the code, it is not possible to know whether the produce was genetically modified. In any case, the cultivation and sale of GMO produce is banned in France. EU law is also strict on the matter of labelling when it comes to GMOs.
European officials received a salary increase of 1.7 percent in June. Yet, viral social media posts claim that that was just the beginning and that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has demanded a 15-percent increase for herself and other EU staff. These claims are false.
Social media posts have misrepresented a statement from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to claim that Covid-19 vaccination could affect female fertility. This interpretation is incorrect, according to experts. There is no evidence that the vaccines have a harmful effect on fertility. Instead, it is true that coronavirus infection increases the risk of complications.
Ukraine combat experience does not pave the way for EU or British citizenship. Yet, a fake job offer circulating on social media guarantees just that. It invites citizens of the Middle East and North Africa to join the Ukrainian army in exchange for “accelerated citizenship in the UK or EU”. This claim is false. According to experts consulted by AFP, the process of acquiring EU or British citizenship is long, complex and requires ticking many boxes, and fighting in Ukraine is not among them.