Truth or Fake

As young people protest poor school conditions and the rising cost of living across Europe, misleading videos are spreading online. Footage from Poland in 2017, military preparations in Portugal and a protest in Argentina have all been falsely presented as recent demonstrations in Europe, painting a misleading picture of unrest. Vedika Bahl fact-checks three viral videos to uncover what they really show and how old footage is being recycled to spread misinformation and attract clicks.

Israel's far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is using AI-generated videos to mock Palestinians and push political messages ahead of the Israeli general election, including videos magically transporting Gazans to Paris or calling them "donkeys" for choosing to stay. One video has sparked an online spat with France. Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in the campaign, with parties using deepfakes, bots and AI-generated content, raising concerns about disinformation and the technology's influence on voters.

US President Donald Trump and his inner circle are using unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming the riots on immigration, even showing French protest footage at midterm rallies. But there is no evidence linking immigration to the unrest, and it's prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to accuse world leaders of making "stupid comments" at France's expense. Trump's focus comes as Republicans face mounting pressure ahead of the midterms and his approval rating hits a reported record low.

A video showing French riot police violently beating a 26-year-old street medic in Paris has gone viral, with social media users falsely claiming he died from his injuries. But the street medic is alive, and spoke to FRANCE 24. The rumour was fuelled by confusion with a separate incident that same day: a man died of cardiac arrest in the same area, causing online users to conflate the two events. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

AI-generated photos falsely claiming to show an elderly couple being "stripped and robbed" during unrest in France have racked up millions of views. Amplified by far-right accounts, the images fuelled inflammatory claims about Muslims, Jews and the riots. The FRANCE 24 Observers traced one image to an AI photomontage published by a pro-Israel account. The images were created using OpenAI tools, and the alleged assault remains unverified, with no official reports confirming the attack.