List of All Articles with Tag 'h'

Hundreds of fake Facebook posts are scaring people into sharing them, fact checkers have warned. Community groups are being filled with hoax posts that are shared across many groups and include scary information, intended to encourage people to share them. They claim that serial killers are on the loose, that deadly snakes are around, or that dogs or children have gone missing. One post claimed that a man was attacking people with a knife in the local area, for instance, claiming that he was preying on “home-alone teens” and demanding money from people. The same text has been circulated in a variety of locations in the UK – and has also been seen in the US and Australia – with police forces across the world having to make clear that it is a hoax. At least some of those posts are then being edited after the fact to change them to include financial offers that target people in the UK, and make exaggerated claims about those companies, according to Full Fact, the fact checking charity that has sounded the alarm on the posts. They then link users out to legitimate companies with the aim of making money through affiliate links that offer money for clicks. Full Fact said that it had identified over 1,200 hoax posts, spread across the UK. But it said there were likely many more. “The sheer scale of these posts is hard to fathom and we are conscious that the 1,200 or so we have identified is likely just the tip of the iceberg,” said Steve Nowottny, Editor at Full Fact. “These posts are all highly emotive and get shared widely because people understandably want to help those in need or warn their neighbours about threats. “But that’s where the risk lies – the hoaxers have clearly identified the massive reach these posts can have and local Facebook groups across the world are now becoming overwhelmed with false information. “Some of these hoaxes appear designed to terrify local communities, and sow needless fear and confusion. As a result, genuine warnings about dangers and genuine posts from people desperately appealing for help, such as those looking for missing loved ones or missing pets, are now at a much higher risk of being ignored. “The impact and scale of these hoaxes and the edited posts they are often replaced by is extremely concerning, which is why we have written to Meta to raise the alarm about this issue. ” Full Fact works with Facebook parent Meta on its third-party fact checking programme. It warned the company that “the risks posed by these posts are pernicious and frequent enough to merit stronger action from Meta in terms of proactively identifying and tackling this growing trend” in April, it said. Full Fact acknowledged that it is difficult to tell when a Facebook post is a hoax, since posts in groups are also often used to send out legitimate and important alerts. But it provided a list of characteristics that tend to indicate that a post might false. Many hoax posts close the comments, for instance, though fact checkers noted that some genuine posts close comments too and that not all fake posts have them on. They also tend to have been copied and pasted, use images from elsewhere, come from pages rather than profiles, use images and language from outside the UK, and include red pins or siren emoji. Full Fact also advised people to check whether posts had been edited, if they were suspected of being hoaxes. Clicking on the three dots in the corner of a post will show its edit history. And it suggested that users search for the text within a post, to check whether it has been shared elsewhere. Many of the scammers will use the same wording, with the location changed, fact checkers noted. Some groups have been forced to share frustrations about how many hoax posts are appearing in their communities. Full Fact pointed to one group formed by dog lovers that had been set up specifically to identify fake posts about lost or injured animals. A Meta spokesperson pointed to the company’s fact checking operations, and said that it was investing in more. It pointed to recently introduced tools including features that let group admins more easily remove posts that might include misinformation. “We’ve built the largest global fact-checking network of any platform, partnering with more than 90 independent fact-checking organisations including Full Fact, to tackle misinformation online,” a Meta spokesperson said. “Fraudulent activity is not allowed on our platforms and we removed the posts Full Fact brought to our attention for violating our Community Standards. “While no enforcement is perfect, we continue to invest in new technologies to stop scams and the people behind them. We also introduced new tools last year to help Facebook Group admins prevent the spread of misinformation and manage interactions in their groups.” Read More Justin Trudeau slams Facebook for blocking news stories about wildfires Elon Musk’s Twitter slows down access to rival websites Twitter turning Tweetdeck into paid service after slowing down access to rivals Mark Zuckerberg says he’s ‘out of town’ as Elon Musk drives to his house to fight Mark Zuckerberg hits out at Elon Musk for wasting time over cage fight Nvidia sales hit record high as AI chip demand soars

The controversial discharge of treated nuclear water sparks an outcry and a seafood ban from China.

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee is expected to open a congressional investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as soon as Thursday, a source tells CNN -- the same day former President Donald Trump is slated to surrender at the county jail after being charged for participating in schemes to meddle with Georgia's 2020 election results.

A strike at a major Australian gas plant had threatened to disrupt global supplies.

After being bowled over by being offered the job as creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear, Pharrell Wiliams has revealed he was his biggest inspiration when launching his first collection for the luxury fashion house.

It appears the rocket carrying the satellite flew further than during the previous attempt.

Amy Dowden has shared an update on her hair loss after announcing she has breast cancer. The professional dancer, who is best known for appearing on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing since 2017, revealed earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. The dancer told fans that she underwent a single mastectomy after she was first diagnosed in May. Last month, however, she was told by doctors that she needed to undergo chemotherapy after further tumours were discovered following the surgery. Dowden, 33, has been keeping her fans updated as she navigates the treatment. In her latest update, shared on Wednesday (23 August), the dancer revealed she has been experiencing hair loss and was finding it “so hard”. Telling fans she had returned home after receiving treatment in the hospital, Dowden shared a picture as she held a clump of her hair, writing: “Welcome home,” with a series of broken heart emojis. She added: “So much everyday! So hard! One day at a time!” In a previous post, Dowden shared a video of her hair that had fallen out, writing: “The reality when I gentle comb,” with a broken heart emoji. Dowden told fans in a separate post that she had some blood clots but was “feeling good” following the treatment. “And I’m going home to my own bed,” she told fans. “Thanks again to the marvellous NHS! Got some blood clots but I’m feeling good other than a sore and swollen arm. Another hurdle along this journey. But again forever grateful to the nhs and my heroes around me.” Earlier this month, Dowden showed her followers the bespoke wig she had made to deal with her ongoing hair loss. Both Dowden and the owner of Be Unique Wigs by Charlotte shared a screenshot of their messages to Instagram, as Dowden thanked her for making the wig. Charlotte, the wigmaker, wrote: “I’ve been working on a wig for the beautiful @amy_dowden and just received this lovely message from her! “I love her,” wrote Dowden in the messages, asking if she could order another one. “Thank you so so so very much.” The wigmaker said in an Instagram post that it was an “honour” to make the wig for the Strictly professional. “I’m hoping it will give you some comfort in a difficult time, I’ve said many times on here... it’s not just hair!” she said. “Losing your hair can make such a difference to your confidence. It’s almost like losing part of your identity,” Charlotte added. After announcing her diagnosis earlier this year, Dowden told fans that she would not be able to dance in a competitive capacity on this year’s season of Strictly. “This year, it means I’m not going to be able to dance with a celebrity on Strictly, but I’m in such regular contact with the team – the BBC have just been utterly incredible,” she wrote in a post on social media last month. “The rest of the year looked very different to what was planned but hopefully I’ll enter 2024 cancer free and I’ll never take anything for granted and promise to live life to the full.” Dowden joined Strictly in 2017, and has competed in every series since, reaching the final in 2019 with kids’ TV presenter Karim Zeroual. Read More Former royal chef explains why Prince William and Kate’s children don’t eat with them Barbie drooling over Darcy? Why we still ardently love the BBC’s 1995 Pride & Prejudice Prince Harry to return to UK on eve of Queen’s death anniversary for charity event Amy Dowden shares pictures of new wig amid chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer How to help your teen with comparison culture on GCSE results day Women more severely affected by ME, study claims

'The Equalizer 3' director Antoine Fuqua has contemplated de-aging Denzel Washington's Robert McCall for an origin story in the vigilante franchise.

Gabri Veiga, who was a target for Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, turns down the chance to join Napoli in favour of a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli.

Man Utd were beaten 3-0 by Burnley in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

While reflecting on her early looks with thick, uncontrollable hair, Alexa Chung has said she is ‘happy’ she inherited glossy locks from her Asian dad and English mum.

A Moscow court has extended the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich by three months, state media Russia 24 reported Thursday.