As a result of the findings and treatments of misinformation published last week, misleading content dominated the misinformation ecosphere.
Deceptive content was published on social networks, Facebook and Tiktok, regarding false claims for granting loans, regarding SMS about earning sums of money, with sexual stimulation products, with a video material with a manipulated statement by the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Dardan Molliqaj, and with video material with the false claim that it presents the voice and opinion of former President Thaçi about Albin Kurti.
Fake news was published on Facebook falsely claiming that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, has stated that Albanians should only speak Serbian.
Conspiracy theories were published on Facebook related to the false claim that the design of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters in Brussels resembles Nazi SS symbols, and in Serbian-language media claiming that a photo published on social media by the nephews of Kosovo Liberation Army commander Adem Jashari in the north of the country represents a call to action against the Serbian people.
Unverified content was published on Facebook, where a photo was published claiming to show Trepça miners on the ninth horizon, at a depth of over 800 meters; and in a Facebook group with English-language content “Travel Scotland Goals Group”, a photo of a bus on a part of the river, taken in Tirana, was published, which bears the inscription “New footbridge over 'The Water of Leith' in Edinburgh”, which in Albanian translates to “New footbridge over 'The Water of Leith' in Edinburgh”.
The misinformation was published on the social network Facebook, linked to the old content of Radojcic's threat to Kurti; to the artificial intelligence-generated image showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near a cow; and to a video showing several military vehicles falsely claiming to be equipment for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF).
Regarding the control of statements and promises, the city bicycle project (Pristina) announced in 2022 and promised to be completed in the spring of 2024, has not yet been concluded, although the bicycles have arrived.
Fake news
A Facebook account with the name “Lule Gjeli” has published an image showing the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani. The author of the publication has placed the caption claiming that the latter has stated that Albanians should speak only Serbian. However, after research by hibrid.info, no source has been found that confirms the alleged statement. Based on the comments published on the image, hibrid.info estimates that the claim can be read as self-evident by the audience. (here)
Conspiracy theory
The account named “Investiguesi Shkrimor” published on April 5 an image of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters in Brussels, claiming that the design of this building matches the Nazi SS symbols. After fact-checking conducted by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that this claim is not true and that the design of the NATO building in Brussels symbolizes the concept of linked fingers. (here)
The Serbian-language online media outlet “politika.rs” in an article published on April 11 claimed that a photo posted on social media by the grandsons of the commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Adem Jashari, in the north of the country a few days ago, is a call for action against the Serbian people. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it turns out that this interpretation of the photo was made without being based on facts. The same applies to the title of the article: “Adem Jashari’s grandsons with weapons in the north of Kosovo and Metohija”. (here)
Lies
A Facebook page called “Personal Loan” published a video on April 4, offering loans of up to 35 thousand euros, with the possibility of starting payments after three months. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that this page published a post that presented a false advertisement. After research conducted through online search engines, hibrid.info managed to confirm that the “Personal Loan” page took the video material from the advertisement of the “TEB Sha” bank in Kosovo, from which the last two seconds of the footage were cut, showing that the campaign belongs to the bank in question. (here)
A TikTok account with the name “albinkurti_kryeminister” has published (April 10) a video material featuring former President Hashim Thaçi. In the audio attached to the video material, which does not match the footage shown, the voice of a person is heard giving his assessment of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, which in the caption attached to the video, is claimed to represent the voice and opinion of former President Thaçi. However, after verification of the facts by hibrid.info, it was found that the voice heard in the audio was taken from a video material, where a citizen is shown expressing his opinion about Prime Minister Kurti. (here)
At least two Facebook pages are advertising a product called “Etumax” as a natural sexual aphrodisiac. After fact-checking by Hibrid.info, it turns out that according to the Food and Drug Administration in the United States of America, it is a product that contains undeclared drug ingredients. The page called “Botanika” in a post on March 30, wrote that “Etumax Royal Honey” is pure honey with royal jelly, bee pollen and a mixture of rainforest plants. The post states that the product has no side effects. (here)
A TikTok account with the name “albinkurti_kryeminister” has published (April 12) a video material, which shows the image of the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Dardan Molliqaj. The image appears to have been cut from a video material published on the official “RTV Dukagjini” channel on Youtube with the title “Habit Dardan Molliqaj: I am with Albin Kurti”. However, after checking the “RTV Dukagjini” video material, hibrid.info has found that the video in question is titled “Habit Dardan Molliqaj: I am with Albin Kurti if you do not form the Association”, which proves the interference in the cut image in the title part (see here). Based on the comments on the TikTok video material, hibrid.info assesses that the interference in this case does not present it completely and gives a different meaning to Molliqaj’s statement. (here)
A Facebook page named “PlusAtlas Interest” has published a sponsored post claiming to offer a loan opportunity. Hibrid.info has verified that, after clicking on the post shared by this Facebook page, the link opened does not take you to any page that offers a loan opportunity, as claimed in the post and in the image accompanying it. (here)
The fact-checking platform, hibrid.info, (April 13) has received via email, some images from its followers regarding some SMS messages that were addressed to their phone numbers. These SMS messages state “PulseGlide Ltd is recruiting people aged 22 and above. Earn around 3-500 euros per day, salary is paid on the same day”. At the end of this message, a link appears which is requested to be clicked on. Hibrid.info has continued to investigate further about this message, by clicking on the link, where a website called “PulseGG.com” was then opened, which does not provide any data. So, there is no contact, phone number, address, or any other information, but it only shows the option to register with a phone number. (here)
Unverified content
The information portal Veriu.info has published on its official Facebook page a photograph claiming to show Trepça miners in the ninth horizon, at a depth of over 800 meters. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that the photograph does not show Trepça miners, but that it was taken in the “Stara Jama” mine in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (here)
In a Facebook group with English content “Travel Scotland Goals Group” a photo was published on April 6 showing a bus over a part of the river, which bears the inscription “New footbridge over 'The Water of Leith' in Edinburgh”, which in Albanian translates as “New footbridge over 'The Water of Leith' in Edinburgh”. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that the photo shows the Tirana bus, which in 2022 ended up over the Lana River after an accident. (here)
disinformation
The Facebook account named “Fleta Press” published an image dated April 7th showing an article from the information portal “telegrafi.com”. After verification by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that the article shown in the photo, titled “Radoicic threatens Kurti: Time will tell who will suffer and pay in the end”, was published in September of last year (2023), information which is not made clear in the image in question. The publication of an old news item without providing any explanation on the reasons for the posting, based also on the number of followers (7 thousand) of this account, can be read by the audience as a current event. (here)
The Albanian-language Facebook page “The Reis” has published an image showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near a mulberry tree. The page, in the caption of the image, claimed that Netanyahu, through this photo, gave a message about the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that the image is not real and that it was generated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). (here)
The Facebook pages “Kaçaniku 05” and “Bota e Lajmeve” published a video on April 12th showing several military vehicles. Through this video, the aforementioned pages claim that they are equipment for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), by placing the caption “The Kosovo Army is being strengthened”. After checking the facts, hibrid.info has confirmed that the vehicles seen in the video are from the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany “Bundeswehr”. (here)
Control of declarations and promises
The city bicycle project announced in 2022 and promised to be completed in the spring of 2024, has not yet been completed. Hibrid.info has not found any evidence that the project has begun to be implemented, although the bicycles have arrived. Based on the methodology of work on the fulfillment or keeping of promises, hibrid.info assesses the non-completion of this project as a partial keeping of the promise. (here)