Here’s what we know about the trolls floating mean-spirited conspiracy theories about Kate Middleton.
Here's how Facebook is actually listening to you
It’s happened to all of us. You have an innocent conversation and some random topic pops up, like cat food or Luke Skywalker. A while later, Facebook shows you ads for Fancy Feast and “Star Wars” or even a strange combination of the two.
If you never typed these terms into the search bar, you might suspect Facebook of listening to conversations through smartphone microphones. After all, our smart devices like Google Assistant, Siri and Amazon Echo are always listening for the wake word, and they often overhear more than they should. Tap or click here to stop all your smart devices from listening to you.
Don’t fall too deep down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. There’s never been hard evidence, and Facebook has long denied that practice. Frankly, it would be difficult for any entity to record and analyze hundreds of millions of random chats.
It all comes down to connected apps
Companies like Facebook don’t need to listen in because they already know you, inside and out. It all comes down to what you do in their apps and websites. Facebook gets everything it needs from your posts and searches and the Pages and Groups you engage with.
For example, if you join a buy-nothing group, Facebook can guess you value sustainability and affordability. This detail goes into its highly specific profile of who you are. Tap or click here to find out how buy-nothing groups are safe ways to get free stuff in your neighborhood.
Facebook also knows what you do elsewhere because you might have connected apps that share your data. All of this information goes straight into a profile of you. To take back some of your privacy, follow this two-step plan of attack.
1. First, you need to see all the third-party groups you added to Facebook over the years
Luckily, this isn’t hard. Follow these steps to see the apps and games you have added to Facebook. The steps differ slightly depending on how you’re accessing Facebook, so we split it into three sections.
Here’s what to do on your computer
- Click the downward arrow in the top right of Facebook.
- First, tap Settings & Privacy.
- Then, select Settings.
- Lastly, hit Apps and Websites in the left side menu.
What to do on your Facebook app on Android
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Is 5G hazardous to your health?
Social media is a fertile breeding ground for lies. When misinformation explodes in popularity, it spills into the real world, spreading chaos in the form of fires and toppled cell phone towers. Right now, a dangerous conspiracy is emerging: the idea that 5G cell phone towers cause coronavirus.
👽 Hold onto your tinfoil hat: The Pentagon’s former chief investigator leaked a new government program to scoop up alien tech if it’s ever shot down. He swears there’s zero evidence of alien spacecraft so far. Meanwhile, a UFO analyst and a missile expert both claim that not only has the U.S. recovered a craft, but they’ve even been inside one.
$1 million a year
What a YouTuber with 1.8 million subscribers makes. Jake Tran, 25, posts documentary-style vids about controversial topics, conspiracy theories and scams. He says he gets “paid for learning how the world works.” I feel the same way teaching you all about tech!
COVID calculator: Quiz tells you when you can get the vaccine
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the U.S. hasn’t exactly been going according to plan. Despite plans for 20 million vaccines by the end of 2020, only 5.3 million doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been administered. Healthcare workers and residents and employees of long-term care facilities are first in line.
Don't fall for these vaccine hoaxes spreading right now
There has been a lot of misinformation spread recently about the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only have we had to wade through numerous conspiracy theories, but we’ve also had to navigate misinformation that comes from pandemic-related phishing and scam attempts.
This “doorway” in Antarctica was spotted on Google Maps, and conspiracy theorists have plenty of wacky ideas about it.
🤬 Crap as far as the eye can see: Only 45 bot accounts on X have racked up over 4 billion views. It’s not for puppy videos; they’re spreading racism, sexual abuse, conspiracy theories and climate disinformation. If you see this crap, report it (steps here).
Conspiracy theories spreading online: One with biblical ties says the April 8 eclipse passes over eight towns named Nineveh and the end is here. (Ahem, it’s only two towns.) Now, the eclipse also goes over Santa Claus, Indiana; Ding Dong, Texas; and Booger Hole, West Virginia. Nope, Christmas isn’t coming early with free donuts and boogers.
❄️ Cold case: Google Map fans found a massive “door” in Antarctica. A pic making the rounds on Reddit shows a glassy rectangle peeking through the frost. Conspiracy theories abound, but it may actually be a few hundred meters from Japan’s Showa Station, a legitimate research base. Now you know.
This is interesting: China, Russia and Iran are the masterminds behind the social media conspiracy theories swirling about Princess Kate. Their goal? To cause panic and destabilize the U.K. They were forced to switch gears when Kate announced her cancer diagnosis. Now, internet conspiracies claim Kate has been replaced by a lookalike.
Kate Middelton and the trolls
Now we know why the Princess of Wales has been out of the public eye. It’s time we stop giving attention to all the trolls and their conspiracy theories.
Emergency alert conspiracy theories and rumors
What are some of the rumors floating around online? Here’s a rundown, in one minute.
It's coming. The mother of all conspiracy theories.
Ever heard of the mark of the beast? Listen now to find out how new COVID-related tech could revive old conspiracy theories.
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Travis Scott conspiracy theories are spreading
Have you heard about the travesty of Astroworld? Listen now to avoid the worst conspiracy theories on social media.
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Conspiracy theorists are putting their routers in Faraday cages - and complaining about bad Wi-Fi
Conspiracy theories have become a common presence on the web. You don’t even have to go far to find them — simply venture deep enough into the comments section of any news article and you’ll learn about secret societies, reptilian overlords and harmful radiation from cell phones.
Wayback Machine will now fact-check archived webpages
Fact-checking has become one of the most popular ways to fight disinformation online. You can see it in action on sites like Facebook and Twitter, where certain posts now come attached with annotations for context.
Some believe these moves are a form of censorship by social media companies. Like health professionals, others say it’s the best way to stop disinformation from going viral and harming people. Tap or click here to see how Facebook blocked the spread of a viral COVID-19 conspiracy theory.
Fact or fiction: Online game helps you spot COVID-19 conspiracies
If your Facebook feed seems more clogged with conspiracy theories than usual, you’re not alone. Throughout 2020, we’ve seen all sorts of people and groups blamed for COVID-19, election interference and general chaos happening this year.