Authors
Vaibhav is a part of Newschecker’s English team, where he spots and debunks all kinds of misinformation, making the rounds on the internet. A Journalism graduate from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, he holds an M.A degree in Philosophy and an M.Phil from Delhi University.
Yet another week, and yet another slew of misinformation on social media. The hashtag #DearNothing was trending in India after an image of a letter saying ‘Nothing mobile phone is not for South Indians’ went viral, while in the international front, fake news around the death of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe dominated the week. From claims that Abe was killed over COVID policies, to troll accounts suggesting Shinzo Abe was killed by a US comedian, and a viral claim that India’s economy nosedived from 3rd largest growing to 164th in 2021, here are our top 5 fact checks from the past week:
Mobile Phone Company Nothing Issued Letter Saying Phone Not For South Indian People? Viral Claim Is False
The launch of the latest phone by ‘Nothing’, a new venture by one of the co-founders of OnePlus, Carl Pei, has run into a major controversy after social media users shared an image of a letter that says that the product is not for ‘south Indians’. Users have taken to Twitter to express their anger, with the hashtag #DearNothing trending in India. Newschecker found the letter to be posted by Youtuber for representational purposes. Read more here.
Shinzo Abe Killed Over Japanese COVID Policies? No, Viral Claim Lacks Evidence
Following the death of the former- Japanese PM Shinzo Abe last week, a slew of theories surfaced online claiming to unravel the motive behind the murder of Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister. Social media users claimed that Abe was shot dead for disobeying World Economic Forum’s directions on COVID. Newschecker found no evidence to substantiate the same. Read more here.
US Comedian Sam Hyde’s Images Presented As Shinzo Abe’s Assassin
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was shot and killed on July 8, 2022 while making a speech in the Japanese city of Nara. After being shot, the ex-prime minister lost consciousness and died as a result of his wounds. A 41-year-old suspect is currently in police custody after security personnel at the site subdued the alleged gunman. In light of these events, several images of a man named Samzuki Hydaiko who is allegedly a member of the Japanese crime syndicate Yakuza are going viral on social media along with the claim that he is the alleged gunman who shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Newschecker found these claims to be untrue. Read more here.
Did India Nosedive ‘From 3rd Largest Economy In 2011 To 164th in 2021’? Know The Truth Here
An image showing the photo of PM Modi, with the claim that India fell from being the 3rd largest economy in 2011 to the 164th fastest-growing nation in 2021, is going viral on social media platforms. Several users who shared the image criticised the government for this steep fall of the economy. Newschecker found the claim to be misleading. Read more here.
Actor Vikram Thanks Fans After Discharge? No, Video From 2017 Goes Viral With False Claim
Social media platforms were flooded with prayers and wishes for Tamil superstar Vikram after reports of his hospitalisation surfaced last week. ‘Chiyaan’ as he is popularly called by his fans, Vikram was admitted to hospital after experiencing discomfort in his chest and was discharged soon. Following this, several social media users as well as media outlets shared a video of the actor thanking his fans for their love and support, claiming it to be a recent post. Newschecker found the claim to be untrue. Read more here.
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Authors
Vaibhav is a part of Newschecker’s English team, where he spots and debunks all kinds of misinformation, making the rounds on the internet. A Journalism graduate from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, he holds an M.A degree in Philosophy and an M.Phil from Delhi University.
