Amid riots in Washington DC, misinformation is spreading like wildfire. After Twitter users heard an explosion in the city, they accused the site of covering up a bombing, when they were actually sharing a TV series screenshot.
Riots shook Washington DC for a third consecutive night on Sunday. Mobs of protesters descended on the White House, and the historic St John’s Church nearby was set alight by arsonists. Amid the popping of police weapons and the crack of fireworks, some Twitter users reported hearing a loud explosion, right before their internet and phone service cut off.
Panic quickly spread. Reports surfaced of a massive police crackdown, and social media users assumed the authorities were rounding up anyone violating Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 11pm curfew. As fires were lit in front of the Washington Monument, the entire DC National Guard was called in to restore order.
One picture circulating on social media appeared to show flames billowing from the bombed wreckage of the US Capitol, apparently justifying the concern of social media users. However, it was soon revealed that the picture was actually a screenshot from the Netflix series ‘Designated Survivor.’
THIS PICTURE GOING AROUND IS FROM THE TV SHOW ‘DESIGNATED SURVIVOR’ I’VE WATCHED THE SHOW ENOUGH TIMES TO KNOW SPREAD THIS ITS NOT REAL #dcblackoutpic.twitter.com/EOJUZ1x3SP
The agitated masses accused Twitter of deleting tweets about the supposed ‘blackout,’ yet the hashtag #DCBlackout was trending in the early hours of Monday morning. But, in another twist to the tale, tweets bearing the hashtag disappeared from Twitter in the following hours.
There is no indication that any kind of blackout has occurred in Washington DC, and several mainstream journalists have taken to Twitter to dispel the rumors. However, the media too have been accused of staying silent about the blackout.
Unrest is a perfect climate for misinformation to spread. And, after six nights of violence in more than 75 major cities, the restoration of law and order looks a long way off yet.
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