Instagram Fact-Checking

Overview

Instagram Fact-Checking refers to a fact-checking policy and a tool introduced by Instagram on December 16th, 2019. The policy resulted in certain memes posted on popular Instagram meme accounts being tagged as false information. This prompted a surge in parody fact-checked memes being posted, as well as memes comparing fact check with Vibe Check. Additionally, memes about the fact-checking non-profit organization Africa Check were created.

Background

On December 16th, 2019, Instagram^[1] introduced platform-wide fact-checking system. Third-party fact-checking organizations such as Lead Stories, Agência Lupa, Aos Fatos, Africa Check and others were giving access to tagging Instagram posts as false. The posts tagged as false by the fact-checkers are blurred and contain warnings such as "Partly False Information" and "False Information," with additional information clarifying why the post has been tagged as false available in the "See Why" section (examples shown below). The tagged posts are available for viewing upon using the "See Post" option.

Additionally, the fact-checking system introduced by Instagram uses the image matching technology to automatically tag all copies of posts deemed false by the fact-checkers.

Developments

On December 18th, 2019, major Instagram meme accounts spread news of the feature, particularly by posting memes relying onto baiting viewers into believing that certain false information is false. On December 18th, 2019, Instagram^[2] user salad.snake posted one of the first such posts, which contained a meme that baited viewers into thinking that a valve stem on a car tire is an RFID chip. This posts, as well as copies of the meme posted by other Instagram meme accounts, were tagged false by Africa Check.

Related Memes

Africa Check

Following the spread of the Tire RFID posts, non-profit South Africa-based organization Africa Check gained popularity in memes and comments on the platform (examples shown below).

Parody False Information Posts

Starting on December 18th, 2019, multiple Instagram^[3][4] accounts made posts parody the posts which were tagged as false. The meme format usually involves making posts which look exactly like blurred fake posts, but are intentionally left less blurred for the viewer to guess the image.

Image Matching Baits

Starting on December 18th, 2019, a number of Instagram^[5][6] accounts made posts virtually identical to those deemed fake by the fact-checkers but with text altered into message making statements such as Epstein killed himself and "Remove the RFID chip by snipping off your foreskin." Due to the image matching algorithm employed by Instagram, some of such posts were subsequently tagged false (examples shown below).

Search Interest

External References