The 36 organizations* part of the EDMO fact-checking network that contributed to this brief published a total of 1.675 fact-checking articles in August 2024. Out of these articles, 99 (6%) focused on Ukraine-related disinformation; 119 (7%) on climate change-related disinformation; 79 (5%) on disinformation related to the EU; 55 (3%) on the conflict between Israel and Hamas; 91 (5%) on COVID-19-related disinformation; 146 (9%) on disinformation related to immigration; and 73 (4%) on disinformation about LGBTQ+ and gender issues.
Disinformation about immigration issues increased in August, rising to 9% from 7% in July. This is its highest level since the dedicated monitoring began and this month the percentage of migration-related disinformation is also the highest among the topics affected by disinformation which EDMO constantly monitors. Disinformation about COVID-19-related issues also grew by two percentage points, after reaching its lowest level ever recorded in July.
Disinformation on the other topics constantly monitored remained almost stable or decreased slightly.
DISINFORMATION ON IMMIGRATION EXPLOITS CURRENT EVENTS TO DRIVE XENOPHOBIA AND ALARMISM, INCITING VIOLENCE
Aside from the usual false stories that portray migrants collectively as criminals, opposed to Western values or favored by governments and the EU in comparison to national citizens, a new wave of false stories exploited dramatic events in various countries to blame the deaths that occurred on migrants.
At the end of July, a stabbing attack in Southport, UK, left three children dead during a dance class. Hours later, disinformation and false rumors that the attacker was an asylum seeker fueled far-right riots, which led to violence in the streets and the injury of over 50 police officers. As happened last year in a similar episode in Dublin, extremists and far-right activists ignited the violence with several false claims online, which were also reshared by prominent public figures, such as Elon Musk, the owner of X, who also talked about an “inevitable civil war” in the UK. A number of false claims related to the protests in England – blaming migrants, targeting police officers and victimizing far-right protesters – soon spread in several EU countries (see slide X).
Furthermore, exploiting the stabbing of an 11-year-old boy in a Spanish village, disinformation and baseless claims alleged without evidence that the attacker was a migrant, calling on citizens to take to the streets and leading to racist hate speech on social media. A disinformation narrative claiming that four children were murdered in a few hours in Spain then spread in various countries. These episodes – as well as the terrorist attack that occurred in Solingen, Germany – have been used by far-right groups to spread xenophobia and conspiracies, such as the so-called “Great Replacement” and, more in general, the attempt by migrants to colonize Europe.
THE FOUR FALSE STORIES WITH THE WIDEST CIRCULATION IN THE EU IN AUGUST, BASED ON THE EU FACT-CHECKERS’ REPORTS, WERE:
– The Algerine boxer Imane Khelif is a man
– Ukraine’s President Zelensky bought Sting’s wine estate in Tuscany in June 2024
– Monkeypox virus is transmitted through COVID-19 vaccines
– The U.K. is releasing violent offenders from prisons to make room for people arrested amid Southport riots
Read HERE the full report
* Organizations that contributed to this brief: 15min, AFP, APA, Correctiv, Delfi, Demagog.cz, Demagog.pl, Demagog.sk, DPA, DW, Eesti Päevaleht, EFE Verifica, Ellinika Hoaxes, Fact Check Cyprus, FactReview, Faktabaari, Faktisk, FranceTV, Funky, Greece Fact Check, InfoVeritas, Lakmusz, Logically Facts, Maldita, Medizin transparent, Newtral, Oštro, PagellaPolitica/Facta, Polígrafo, Pravda, Re:Baltica, The Journal Fact-Check, Times of Malta, TjekDet, VerificaRTVE, Verificat
