AAP FactCheck Articles

Lots of wriggle room in truth about viral 'earthworm' image

You would need a deep-sea submersible to find the creepy-looking invertebrate doing the rounds on social media.

Read more

Claims of a drastically reduced COVID-19 toll are a real Italian job

Posts claiming proof of recalculated death figures rely on misinterpreted data.

Read more

Claim aged pensioners will be put on cashless debit cards is due for retirement

Several Labor MPs have suggested the coalition government intends to make the move - but evidence to support the claim is scant.

Read more

Viral image is horsing around with the facts

A photo is being circulated with claims a Victorian farmer built an unconventional outdoor structure to avoid council planning laws.

Read more

COVID case meme misleads on Australian fatality rates

A post uses incomplete data to imply the risk of dying with COVID-19 among most age groups is lower than the true figure.

Read more

Queensland hasn't curbed car passengers using mobile phones

The state recently introduced new rules on phone use in vehicles, leading to claims front-seat passengers can be fined for being on their devices.

Read more

Cashless welfare card cost is way off the money

Claims government contractor Indue is paid $10,000 annually for each card it manages under the Australian welfare trial rely on some old and misinterpreted figures.

Read more

PM's claim about Labor's 2019 electric car policy is all gas

Scott Morrison famously labelled the opposition's proposals as "the war on the weekend" - although his stance on EVs has notably softened since.

Read more

Child health concerns didn't prompt new Pfizer vaccine ingredient

A video suggests without evidence that a new ingredient in the vaccine is to prevent five-year-olds having heart attacks and strokes.

Read more

Vaccines don't make people sicker if they get COVID

Posts circulating in PNG claim vaccinations cause a serious immune response when people get infected, leading to worse outcomes.

Read more

No, 10-year-olds aren't being fined for going maskless in Victoria

Some mask rules apply to children aged 12 and over in the state, but a federal minister claims even younger kids are receiving fines.

Read more

Polio is caused by a virus, not 'industrial toxins'

The infectious disease has been largely eradicated due to vaccination, but that hasn't stopped baseless claims about its cause circulating online.

Read more

Suggestion vaccinated COVID-19 patients dominate Israel hospitals is 'fake news'

Noted for his dramatic political statements, Clive Palmer has taken to social media to make a bold claim about vaccines.

Read more

No, most vaccinated pregnant women in NZ haven't miscarried

Flawed calculations and apparently concocted data form the basis of a meme being shared in the country.

Read more

England COVID deaths data misused in false vaccine efficacy claim

Data from the UK's public health agency doesn't provide proof that people who are vaccinated are more likely to die.

Read more

Queensland isn't planning to put unvaccinated residents in 'quarantine camps'

A selectively edited news clip has been used to claim the Sunshine State has a plan for people without the COVID jab.

Read more

Australian-US eagle comparison doesn't fly

Bill Clinton once described the bald eagle as "the living symbol" of US democracy, but a meme contrasting it with Australia's wedge-tailed eagle has ruffled a few feathers.

Read more

No, New Zealand wasn't left lawless without a governor-general

A social media post claims a gap between terms meant the country was under "rogue governance".

Read more

Autopsies provide clear proof of COVID-19 deaths

COVID-deniers say no one is actually dying from the coronavirus, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

Read more

No, the Amish aren't free from COVID and other diseases

The rural lifestyle of Amish religious communities has made them a healthy group, but they're still susceptible to contagious illnesses.

Read more