AFP's fact-check service debunks misinformation spread online. Here are some of our recent articles about inaccurate claims in the United States: Facebook and Twitter posts shared tens of thousands of times claim that a wide-ranging $1.9 trillion package for Covid-19 pandemic relief will cost each US citizen $5,750. This is misleading; economists say the cost of the plan cannot be attributed to every American in this way, though they differ on the specifics of what its impact would be. An article from One America News Network shared thousands of times on Facebook claims that a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found face masks do little to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This is false; the research examined the effectiveness of mask mandates, not masks, finding that state-issued orders requiring face coverings were linked to a decreased growth rate in Covid-19 cases and deaths. A CDC spokeswoman said masks are very effective against the deadly illness. A video post claims pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline's Covid-19 vaccine contains ingredients that will cause infertility, and that immunized men can make unvaccinated women sterile, which would cause a global population decline. This is false; the drug company does not have its own Covid-19 vaccine, and doctors say such shots could not cause infertility. Facebook posts claim President Joe Biden ended an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) effort that his predecessor Donald Trump began to target sex traffickers who are in the United States illegally. This is false; ICE said the operation was delayed but not eliminated in a decision that did not involve the Biden administration, and there are no records of executive orders about the agency on the White House website. 1. 2. 3. 4. afp