All articles tagged with #social media rumors
North Korean state media released photos of Kim Jong Un visiting a clothing exhibition on October 19 to counter unverified online claims that he had died from a brain hemorrhage. While the images show him active with his daughter, they lack independent verification, and Pyongyang has not officially addressed the rumors.
A lockdown at UNCW was lifted after reports of a gunman on campus turned out to be false, with authorities confirming no threat after social media rumors caused a temporary shelter-in-place alert.
The school district clarified that Cheryl Richardson-Wagner was not involved in the viral incident at a Phillies game and has not been fired, despite social media rumors linking her to the 'Phillies Karen' incident.
Kate, Princess of Wales, apologized for editing a family photo released by the palace, which was intended to calm concern and speculation about her health but had the opposite effect, fueling online rumors. The photo, taken by Prince William, was retracted by several news agencies over concerns about digital manipulation. Kate, 42, underwent surgery in January, and the palace has faced scrutiny and conspiracy theories about her health, with officials emphasizing her right to privacy and asking the public to respect it.
Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether social media rumors about a potential water outage prompted people to quickly fill bathtubs with tap water in Mississippi’s capital, causing a drop in pressure that temporarily made faucets run dry for thousands of customers. JXN Water, the private corporation overseeing Jackson’s water system, blamed a "deliberate misinformation campaign" for the spike in demand. The organization did not specify which law enforcement agencies are involved or what charges might be brought if people are found to have spread false information on social media. The latest disruption in Jackson water service came a week after Mississippi health officials issued and then quickly lifted a health advisory after tests identified E. coli in the water supplies of Jackson and a suburb.
Social media rumors claiming that Dior dropped Bella Hadid from their holiday campaign due to her comments on the Israel-Hamas war are baseless. Hadid's contract with Dior ended in March 2022 and was not extended, with no specific reason given. The Israeli model May Tager, who appeared in the campaign, had also been featured in Dior's 2022 holiday marketing. Similar rumors circulated in 2021, but Hadid continued to work with Dior. Social media users have also shared manipulated videos of Hadid apologizing for her remarks about Palestinians.
Four bodies have been found within a month in the same area of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Police have addressed concerns about information circulating on social media, stating that there is no evidence to suggest a correlation between the cases. The investigations are ongoing, and the cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The police department has deployed additional resources to assist in the investigations and encourages citizens with information to contact Crime Stoppers or the assigned detectives.
Abilene and Wylie ISDs in Texas are dealing with rumors of school threats on social media, but police have investigated and deemed them not credible. School officials are reminding students and parents that such threats are against the District Code of Conduct and can legally be considered a terroristic threat. Abilene High School Principal Emme Siburt says that schools and districts across Texas are dealing with similar threats.
The Tybee Island Police Department is on high alert for another potential unpermitted event called Peach Fest, which is being promoted online. The police department is taking seriously a message circulating online that said there is "going to be a gang shootout on Tybee Island at Peach Fest so nobody go to Tybee this weekend." City leaders are calling in extra first responders and putting additional lighting out in parking lots at the south end of the island.
Dozens of babies and small children were thrown over the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, as more than 1,000 migrants rushed the border on Wednesday afternoon, after rumors circulated on social media that they would be allowed entry into the US if they surrendered themselves to immigration agents. The false information caused a stampede, as frantic families with kids in their arms ran for miles, hoping to make it to “the front of the line”. The majority of the migrants have been waiting in Juarez for months, hoping to get legal asylum in the US. However, the US Border Patrol denied claims that the border was open and said the migrants would be expelled to Mexico.
Michigan State Police announced that the killings of three men whose bodies were found in an abandoned apartment complex near Detroit were not random and had nothing to do with music, but were instead a gang violence incident. The cause of death and motive have not been released, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.