Title: Debunking Popular but False Claims Circulating on Social Media
Subtitle: The Associated Press Fact-Checks Viral Misinformation
Date: [Current Date]
Byline: [Your Name]
[Location] – In the era of social media, false information spreads like wildfire, often leading to confusion and panic among users. The Associated Press has diligently fact-checked and debunked several popular but completely untrue stories and visuals that have recently been widely shared on various social media platforms. Here are the facts:
1. CDC Risk Assessment Does Not Claim Vaccinated Individuals More At Risk of New COVID Variant
One false claim circulating on social media platforms suggests that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that a new COVID-19 variant is more contagious among vaccinated people than the unvaccinated. However, the CDC, in its risk assessment summary published on August 23, 2021, stated that the BA.2.86 variant may be more likely to infect people with existing immunity (either from vaccinations or prior infections) than previous variants. The CDC did not say that vaccinated individuals are at a higher risk than the unvaccinated. Instead, it highlighted concerns regarding the variant’s potential to cause infection in people who have either been vaccinated or previously infected. The agency emphasized that it is still monitoring the variant and encouraged people to stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines.
2. President Joe Biden Did Not Convince Segregationist Thurmond to Vote for Civil Rights Act
Another false claim circulating on social media suggests that President Joe Biden “literally” convinced segregationist U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond to vote in favor of the Civil Rights Act. However, Biden had not yet been elected to the U.S. Senate when the landmark law was passed in 1964, and Thurmond was among the prominent southern Democrats who voted against the bill. The White House confirmed that President Biden misspoke during a recent event and intended to highlight his role in gaining Sen. Thurmond’s support for reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act in the 1980s. Biden successfully fought against Thurmond’s attempt to eliminate parts of the 1965 law.
3. Tick Spit-Induced Meat Allergy Not Linked to Gates Foundation-Funded Program
A false claim on social media falsely connects an increased incidence of a meat allergy linked to tick spit in the U.S. to a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation involving genetically modifying cattle ticks. However, the program to modify cattle ticks has been limited to lab work conducted in the U.K. The ticks in question have largely been eradicated in the U.S. and do not bite humans. Moreover, there is no scientific possibility of a link between the Gates Foundation’s project and the tick-induced meat allergy. Researchers first published a paper on this allergy a decade before the Gates Foundation funded the program on cattle ticks.
4. Baseless Conspiracy Theory: Blue Items Were Not Spared from Maui Wildfires
Social media videos have popularized a baseless conspiracy theory claiming that only blue items were spared from the Maui wildfires, supposedly due to the use of lasers. However, there is no factual basis to support this claim. It is a viral conspiracy theory with no evidence to substantiate it. The Maui wildfires are a serious natural disaster, and spreading false information distracts from the actual causes and efforts to combat such incidents.
As misinformation continues to spread rapidly on social media, it is crucial for users to verify the accuracy of claims before sharing them. The Associated Press remains committed to fact-checking and debunking false information to ensure that the public is well-informed.
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