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Egypt attack: Fake Sinai photos on social media | Egypt attack: Fake Sinai photos on social media |
(3 days later) | |
How do you know if the photographs and video footage that you see on social media after an attack are real? | How do you know if the photographs and video footage that you see on social media after an attack are real? |
In the absence of concrete facts, many people - and news organisations - turn to social media for information. | In the absence of concrete facts, many people - and news organisations - turn to social media for information. |
The deadly attack on the al-Rawda mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province, which killed at least 235 people, was no different. | The deadly attack on the al-Rawda mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province, which killed at least 235 people, was no different. |
In its immediate aftermath, news site Al-Araby shared a dramatic image of crowds outside a smoking building. | In its immediate aftermath, news site Al-Araby shared a dramatic image of crowds outside a smoking building. |
The headline read: "Sinai: 200 people killed and wounded in the bombing of a mosque". | The headline read: "Sinai: 200 people killed and wounded in the bombing of a mosque". |
The ambulance shown is indeed Egyptian. However, this image does not show the 24 November attack in Sinai. | The ambulance shown is indeed Egyptian. However, this image does not show the 24 November attack in Sinai. |
How do we know? | How do we know? |
By conducting a reverse image search, we can see that the photo was actually taken by a photographer working for the news agency AFP in 2015. | By conducting a reverse image search, we can see that the photo was actually taken by a photographer working for the news agency AFP in 2015. |
It shows the aftermath of a bomb attack in another Egyptian town which killed eight people. | It shows the aftermath of a bomb attack in another Egyptian town which killed eight people. |
There are several ways of conducting a reverse image search. | |
If you're using Google Chrome, you can right click on an image and select "search for image". | |
If you're using a different browser, you can save the image and then re-upload it to a reverse image search tool. | |
You'll then see the other places on the internet where it appears. | |
Degraded video | Degraded video |
Other social media users shared a video supposedly taken "during the bombing of al-Rawda Mosque" in Sinai. | Other social media users shared a video supposedly taken "during the bombing of al-Rawda Mosque" in Sinai. |
But this video was in fact first uploaded by Twitter user Mohammad Boland in early 2015, during an attack on a Shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia. | But this video was in fact first uploaded by Twitter user Mohammad Boland in early 2015, during an attack on a Shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia. |
The original version of the distressing video, which was shown on American news network CNN, is much higher quality. | The original version of the distressing video, which was shown on American news network CNN, is much higher quality. |
Video quality can be degraded when it is downloaded and re-uploaded - which makes it harder to find the original when you carry out a reverse image search. | Video quality can be degraded when it is downloaded and re-uploaded - which makes it harder to find the original when you carry out a reverse image search. |
The wrong mosque | The wrong mosque |
Another way of spotting a fake photo is to check the surroundings. | Another way of spotting a fake photo is to check the surroundings. |
Several users had shared a photo that showed a minaret collapsing during an explosion. But the minaret was not from the mosque in Sinai. | Several users had shared a photo that showed a minaret collapsing during an explosion. But the minaret was not from the mosque in Sinai. |
It was taken in Mosul in 2014. | It was taken in Mosul in 2014. |
If you come across that photo, compare it to the minaret from the mosque in Sinai, below. They clearly do not match. | If you come across that photo, compare it to the minaret from the mosque in Sinai, below. They clearly do not match. |
There are plenty of genuine images of the devastating attack in Sinai and its aftermath. But there are fake photos in circulation - and by right clicking and carrying out your own reverse image search, you can check from where they really originate. | There are plenty of genuine images of the devastating attack in Sinai and its aftermath. But there are fake photos in circulation - and by right clicking and carrying out your own reverse image search, you can check from where they really originate. |
Read more from Reality Check | Read more from Reality Check |
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