Fact check: COVID-19, election misinformation dominated social media in 2021
Last December, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the first vaccine proven to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19. Less than a month later, supporters of now-former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election.
In 2021, those two events became the basisfor a torrent of misinformation in Americans’ social media feeds.
Vaccine skeptics promoted false and unproven claims about shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, alleging they were ineffective and potentially more harmful than COVID-19 itself.
Revisionist takes on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, boosted in part by supporters of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, found a home on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Months after the attack on the Capitol, misinformation about the riot – including false claims that the FBI or anti-fascist activists were behind the violence – continue to circulate online.
Fact check:6 of the most persistent misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines
USA TODAY has fact-checked dozens of claims about COVID-19 and the aftermath of the presidential election. Here’s a roundup of some of the most pervasive misinformation narratives we saw in 2021.
Claims about COVID-19, vaccines
The year started with a breakthrough: a vaccine that’s highly effective at preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19. Today, more than 200 million Americans have been inoculated.
But online, some have doubted the safety and efficacy of the shot since the beginning.
Conspiracy theories that the vaccine makes recipients magnetic found an audience on Facebook, as did false claims that the shot causes death and miscarriage. Anti-vaccine advocates promoted the unproven benefits of ivermectin in treating COVID-19, while others claimed getting sick offers more protection than getting vaccinated.
Here are some of the most notable COVID-19 claims USA TODAY fact-checked this year:
The claim: COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips or other tracking devices, cause magnetic reaction
Our rating: False
What we found: There is no evidence to suggest these technologies are in the vaccines, and experts say magnetism isn’t a side effect of the shots. The claim stems from a debunked conspiracy theory that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is behind a global scheme to secretly implant and track people.
The claim: Immunity from infection is always stronger than immunity from vaccines
Our rating: Partly false
What we found: Natural immunity tends to last longer than immunity from vaccines, but experts say it depends on the pathogen. For example, vaccines for human papillomavirus and tetanus induce stronger immunity than the diseases themselves. Evidence suggests COVID-19 vaccines provide more consistent and safer protection than infection. It’s unclear how sick someone has to get with COVID-19 to develop lasting protection against the virus – and vaccines lead to higher levels of neutralizing antibodies, which help fight infection.
‘Death toll’ of COVID-19 vaccines is more than 20 times higher than that of past vaccines
Our rating: False
What we found: There have been more deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following COVID-19 vaccination than for past vaccines – but that doesn’t mean the shots are to blame. Anyone can submit unverified reports of adverse events following vaccination to the VAERS database. Public health agencies look for patterns in those reports to detect potential safety problems associated with approved vaccines, but experts say the system is susceptible to reporting bias. There is no evidence the COVID-19 vaccines cause death.
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The claim: Ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19
Our rating: Missing context
What we found: Scientists are still studying whether ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug, could be used to treat COVID-19. Some lab studies have shown promise, but experts say more scientifically rigorous research – including a double-blind, randomized trial in Colombia and a meta-analysis of 14 studies involving more than 1,600 participants – has found no connection between ivermectin and improved COVID-19 outcomes. The FDA recommends against using the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19.
The claim: Miscarriage is among the ‘tragic side effects’ of mRNA vaccines
Our rating: False
What we found: Experts and research indicate the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which both use messenger RNA technology, are not linked to increased rates of miscarriage. A study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the miscarriage rate among vaccinated people is in line with the general population. Public health officials recommend pregnant people get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Claims about 2020 election, Capitol riot
In 2020, Biden beat Trump in the presidential election. Two weeks after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, Biden was inaugurated as president.
Since then, misinformation about his victory and the insurrection has spread across social media platforms.
Partisans have shifted blame for the Capitol riot, pinning the violent uprising on undercover FBI agents or antifa activists instead of Trump supporters and far-right groups. Others have continued to promote conspiracy theories that, if it weren’t for widespread voter fraud in battleground states, Trump – not Biden – would be in the White House today.
Here are some of the most notable election-related claims USA TODAY fact-checked this year:
The claim: The Arizona recount found 250,000 fraudulent votes
Our rating: False
What we found: Less than one week after the start of Cyber Ninjas’ audit, some online falsely claimed the Florida cybersecurity firm had found evidence of voter fraud affecting Arizona’s 2020 election results. The Arizona Senate liaison told USA TODAY at the time that the claim wasn’t true. Six months later, the audit results affirmed Biden’s win in Maricopa County, home of Phoenix.
Fact check:No proof of widespread fraud in conservative group’s investigation of Wisconsin election
The claim: Donald Trump will be reinstated as president in August
Our rating: False
What we found: Trump did not reassume the presidency in August, as some of his supporters claimed he would. There is no constitutional way for Trump to return to the White House until Biden’s term is over. The falsehood, popular among QAnon adherents, was based on debunked claims about the 2020 election, including baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud.
The claim: A facial recognition firm claimed antifa infiltrated pro-Trump rioters at the Capitol building
Our rating: False
What we found: Antifa activists were not identified among the rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, as The Washington Times reported in a now-retracted story. Facial recognition technology firm XRVision publicly refuted the story. Since the insurrection, no evidence has emerged to support the theory that antifa was behind it.
The claim: Nancy Pelosi rejected Donald Trump’s request for 10,000 National Guard troops to be deployed before Jan. 6
Our rating: False
What we found: Independent fact-checking organizations debunked this claim from Trump in March, and it’s still not true. There’s no evidence Trump made a formal request for 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of his “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington. That’s according to statements from the Pentagon and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, testimony from the former House sergeant-at-arms and a timeline from the Department of Defense.
The claim: FBI operatives organized the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol
Our rating: False
What we found: The claim rests upon the assumption that “unindicted co-conspirators” named in federal charging documents are federal agents. But legal experts say undercover operatives and informants cannot be named as such in government filings. The best available evidence identifies the Jan. 6 rioters as Trump supporters, conspiracy theorists and members of far-right groups. That’s according to arrest records, video footage and other documents related to the Capitol attack.
Contributing: Miriam Fauzia, Bayliss Wagner, Devon Link, Chelsey Cox and McKenzie Sadeghi
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