Fake news websites are those which intentionally, but not necessarily solely, publish hoaxes and disinformation for purposes other than news satire. Some of these sites use homograph spoofing attacks, typosquatting and other deceptive strategies similar to those used in phishing attacks to resemble genuine news outlets. [1] [2] [3]
Fake news sites deliberately publish hoaxes and disinformation to drive web traffic inflamed by social media. [4] [5] [6] These sites are distinguished from news satire (which is usually intended to be humorous) as they mislead and sometimes profit from readers' gullibility. [5] While most fake news sites are portrayed to be spinoffs of other news sites, some of these websites are examples of website spoofing, structured to make visitors believe they are visiting major news outlets like ABC News or MSNBC. [7] The New York Times pointed out that within a strict definition, "fake news" on the Internet referred to a fictitious article which was fabricated with the deliberate motivation to defraud readers, generally with the goal of profiting through clickbait. [8] PolitiFact described fake news as fabricated content designed to fool readers and subsequently made viral through the Internet to crowds that increase its dissemination. [9]
The New York Times noted in a December 2016 article that fake news had previously maintained a presence on the Internet and within tabloid journalism in the years prior to the 2016 U.S. election. [8] Except for the 2016 Philippine elections, [10] prior to the election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, fake news had not impacted the election process and subsequent events to such a high degree. [8] Subsequent to the 2016 election, the issue of fake news turned into a political weapon, with supporters of left-wing politics saying those on the opposite side of the spectrum spread falsehoods, and supporters of right-wing politics arguing such accusations were merely a way to censor conservative views. [8] Due to these back-and-forth complaints, the definition of fake news as used for such polemics became more vague. [8]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
American News | americannews.com | Published a false story claiming actor Denzel Washington endorsed Donald Trump for president. The fictional headline led to thousands of people sharing it on Facebook, a prominent example of fake news spreading on the social network prior to the 2016 presidential election. | [11] | |
Conservative 101 | conservative101.com | Falsely claimed that the White House fired Kellyanne Conway. | [11] [12] | |
Democratic Review | DemocraticReview.com | Owned by American Review LLC of Miami, the same company that owns American News (americannews.com), Conservative 101 and Liberal Society. | [12] | |
Liberal Society | LiberalSociety.com | Published a fake direct quote attributed to Obama, Falsely claimed that the White House fired Kellyanne Conway. | [11] [12] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative Frontline | conservativefrontline.com | [14] | ||
Denver Guardian | denverguardian.com | [14] | ||
DrudgeReport.com.co | DrudgeReport.com.co | Mimics the name of the Drudge Report. | [14] | |
United Media Publishing | unitedmediapublishing.com | [14] | ||
usatoday.com.co | usatoday.com.co | Defunct | Falsely reports celebrity appearances and filming locations in random local towns | [14] |
washingtonpost.com.co | washingtonpost.com.co | Originally registered by Jestin Coler. The Washington Post submitted a complaint against Coler's registration of the site with GoDaddy under the UDRP, and in 2015, an arbitral panel ruled that Coler's registration of the domain name was a form of bad-faith cybersquatting (specifically, typosquatting), "through a website that competes with Complainant through the use of fake news. ... The fake news content misleads readers and serves as 'click bait' to drive readers to other sites, or to share the fake news content with others on social networking websites, to generate advertising revenue." | [15] [14] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
ABCnews.com.co | ABCnews.com.co | Defunct | Owned by Paul Horner. Mimics the URL, design and logo of ABC News (owned by Disney–ABC Television Group). | [16] |
CBSnews.com.co | CBSnews.com.co | Mimics the URL, design and logo of CBS News. | [18] | |
christianfreedommovement.com | christianfreedommovement.com | [18] | ||
cnn.com.de | cnn.com.de | Impostor site of CNN. | [18] | |
isissingles.com | isissingles.com | [18] | ||
iywib.com | iywib.com | [18] | ||
keepdonaldtrump.com | keepdonaldtrump.com | [18] | ||
makeredhatswearableagain.com | makeredhatswearableagain.com | [18] | ||
mericaland.com | mericaland.com | [18] | ||
microsoftsite.com | microsoftsite.com | [18] | ||
nationalgeographic.com.co | nationalgeographic.com.co | Spoof of National Geographic. | [18] | |
nationalreview.biz | nationalreview.biz | Spoof of National Review. | [18] | |
NBC.com.co | NBC.com.co | Imitates NBC. | [19] [18] | |
NBCNews.com.co | NBCNews.com.co | Defunct | Mimics the URL, design and logo of NBC News. | [20] |
News Examiner | newsexaminer.net | Started in 2015 by Paul Horner, the lead writer of the National Report. This website has been known to mix real news along with its fake news. | [21] | |
paulhorner.org | paulhorner.org | [18] | ||
snopes.com.co | snopes.com.co | Imposter site of Snopes. | [18] | |
St George Gazette | stgeorgegazette.com | [18] [22] [23] | ||
superofficialnews.com | superofficialnews.com | [18] | ||
thephoenixnewtimes.com | thephoenixnewtimes.com | [18] | ||
trumptized.com | trumptized.com | [18] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
16WMPO | 16WMPO.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [24] [25] | |
AlexJones.xyz | AlexJones.xyz | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [26] | |
alynews.com | alynews.com | Part of a network that posted a false story that there was a sequel to the movie
Step Brothers in the works in 2016.
Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[27] [28] [26] | |
channel16news.com | channel16news.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
channel17news.com | channel17news.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [29] | |
Channel 18 News | Channel18News.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [30] [24] | |
clancyreport.com | clancyreport.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
Daily News 10 | DailyNews10.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [31] [24] | |
Daily News 11 | dailynews11.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
Daily News 5 | DailyNews5.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [26] [24] | |
FoxBusiness.xyz | FoxBusiness.xyz | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [26] | |
Headline Brief | headlinebrief.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
km8news.com | km8news.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
KMT 11 News | kmt11.com | Defunct | Falsely reports celebrity appearances and filming locations in random local towns. Before the website went down, it referred to itself as a "fantasy news website".
[32]
[33]
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[34] [32] [33] [24] |
knp7.com | knp7.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
kspm33.com | kspm33.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
KUPR7 | kupr7.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [35] [36] | |
ky6news.com | ky6news.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
KY12News.com | KY12News.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [24] | |
KYPO6 | kypo6.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
Local 31 News | Local31News.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [31] [24] | |
localnews33.com | localnews33.com | Part of the same network as alynews.com | [27] [28] | |
lopezreport.com | lopezreport.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
maywoodpost.com | maywoodpost.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [37] | |
mbynews.com | mbynews.com | Part of the same network as alynews.com | [27] [28] [26] | |
McKenzie Post | mckenziepost.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
NewsDaily12.com | NewsDaily12.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [24] [25] | |
newsdaily27.com | newsdaily27.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
News Now 11 | newsnow11.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [38] | |
The North Devon Journal | northdevonjournal.co.uk | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [29] | |
oreillypost.com | oreillypost.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
WBN 12 News | wbn12.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [31] | |
wcpm3.com | wcpm3.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
wleb21.com | wleb21.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
WRPT 16 News | wrpt16.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
WTOE 5 News | wtoe5news.com | Original source of false claim that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. | [39] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Neon Nettle | neonnettle.com | Per FactCheck.org and PolitiFact.
Stated by Snopes to be "interrelated" with NewsPunch and Your News Wire. |
[19] [40] [41] | |
Newspunch | Newspunch.com | Alternative name for YourNewsWire. | [40] | |
The People's Voice (formerly NewsPunch and Your News Wire) | thepeoplesvoice.tv | Founded by Sean Adl-Tabatabai and Sinclair Treadway in 2014. It has published fake stories, such as "claims that the Queen had threatened to abdicate if the UK voted against Brexit." Its name was changed to NewsPunch in 2018 and The People's Voice in 2023. | [42] [19] [40] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] | |
Your News Wire | yournewswire.com | Former name for The People's Voice. | [42] [19] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
ABCNews1.us | ABCNews1.us | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
African News Updates | africannewupsdate.com | Same owner as News Updates South Africa. Published a false story about election fraud during the 2016 municipal elections in South Africa, which led to the Electoral Commission of South Africa filing a criminal complaint against the site owner. | [51] [52] | |
AJUAnews | AJUAnews.com | Plagiarized content from The Last Line of Defense. Reportedly owned by individual based in Pakistan. | [50] | |
ALNewsNetwork.press | ALNewsNetwork.press | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
America Talks | Americatalks.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] | |
America's Freedom Fighters | Americasfreedomfighters.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] | |
Banned Information | BannedInformation.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] | |
Conservative Beaver | conservativebeaver.com | Published false anti-vaccination claims related to Pfizer, leading to Pfizer filing a petition to compel the site host to reveal the site owner's identity. | [53] | |
Dos Palos News | dospalosnews.com | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
FB News Cycle | Fbnewscycle.com | Per FactCheck.org.
Same owner as Banned Information. |
[40] | |
HealthFacts.pro | HealthFacts.pro | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
Hot Global News | hotglobalnews.com | [47] [54] | ||
ILoveQuilting.pro | ILoveQuilting.pro | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
Leading Report | theleadingreport.com | A website and Twitter account that promotes misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and United States politics. | [55] | |
National News Bulletin | nationalnewsbulletin.com | Same Google Analytics ID as News Updates South Africa. | [51] [52] | |
The National Sun | thenationalsun.com | Same owners as Hot Global News. | [54] [56] | |
net-breaking.com | net-breaking.com | Affiliated with Leading Report. | [55] | |
News@Last | newsatlast.com | Fake news website in South Africa, per Africa Check, an IFCN signatory.
Same owner as News Updates South Africa. |
[51] [52] | |
News Updates South Africa | newsupdatessa.site | Per Africa Check and News24. | [57] [51] | |
Ohio Press Pro | ohiopress.pro | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
thepedogate.com | thepedogate.com | Part of same network as America Talks. Spread the false Pizzagate conspiracy theory. | [40] | |
The Red Panther | theredpanther.com | Former name of Toronto Today. | [53] | |
Right Wing Tribune | Rightwingtribune.com | Per FactCheck.org.
Same owners as America's Freedom Fighters. |
[40] | |
Toronto99.com | Toronto99.com | Had the same Google Adsense code as The Conservative Beaver. | [53] | |
Toronto Today | torontotoday.net | Had the same Google Adsense code as The Conservative Beaver. | [53] | |
Vancouver Times | vancouvertimes.org | Likely shares the same site owner as the Conservative Beaver and Toronto Today. | [58] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Climate Intelligence Foundation (CLINTEL) | clintel.org | [59] [60] | ||
NoTricksZone | notrickszone.com | [59] [60] | ||
Klimaat Feiten | klimaatfeiten.nl | [59] [60] | ||
Climate Gate | climategate.nl | [59] [60] | ||
Energy Talking Points | energytalkingpoints.com | [59] [60] | ||
Clima et Verité | climatetverite.net | [59] [60] | ||
Climato-Réalistes | climato-realistes.fr | [59] [60] | ||
Global Warming Scare | globalwarmingscare.wordpress.com | [60] | ||
Climate Fraud | klima-schwindel.com | [60] | ||
Climate Skeptical | climat-sceptique.over-blog.com | [60] | ||
Climate Depot | climatedepot.com | [60] | ||
Climate Exit (CLEXIT) | clexit.net | [60] | ||
Climate Resistance | climate-resistance.org | [60] | ||
CO2 Coalition | co2coalition.org | [60] | ||
The Daily Sceptic | dailysceptic.org | Publishes anti-vaccine and climate change denial misinformation. | [61] [59] | |
De Groene Rekenkamer | groene-rekenkamer.nl | [60] | ||
Destaatvanhet Klimaat | destaatvanhet-klimaat.nl | [60] | ||
Ecologia, Clima, Aquecimento | ecologia-clima-aquecimento.blogspot.com | [60] | ||
Climate Curious | shortfall.blog | [60] | ||
Climate Etc | judithcurry.com | [60] | ||
Environmental Progress | environmentalprogress.org | [60] | ||
European Climate Realist Network | ecr.network | [60] | ||
Everything Climate | everythingclimate.com | [60] | ||
Klimaat Gek | klimaatgek.nl | [60] | ||
Klima Realisme | klimarealisme.dk | [60] | ||
Klima Realistene | klimarealistene.com | [60] | ||
Klimat Sans | klimatsans.com | [60] | ||
Klimat Upplysningen | klimatupplysningen.se | [60] | ||
Koklimaat | koklimaat.nl | [60] | ||
La Question Climatique | laquestionclimatique.org | [60] | ||
Science, Climat et Énergie | science-climat-energie.be | [60] | ||
Sky Fall | skyfall.fr | [60] | ||
Weather Action | weatheraction.com | [60] | ||
A Grande Farsa do Aquecimento Global | agfdag.wordpress.com | [60] |
Examples of disinformation campaigns from companies include Eliminalia, a reputation management firm that created a network of over 600 websites for its clients, [62] [63] and Regency Enterprises, which created sites to promote the movie A Cure for Wellness. [64] [65]
Examples of countries with political actors that have been confirmed or suspected to be involved with fake news website networks include Brazil, [66] India, [67] Iran, [3] Italy, [68] the People's Republic of China, [69] the Philippines, [70] Russia, [71] Ukraine (Luhansk), [72] and the United States. [73]
According to the Poynter Institute, there are four categories of false fact-checking websites:
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
AosFatos.com | AosFatos.com | Spoof of Brazilian fact-checking organization Aos Fatos. | [75] | |
Business2Community | business2community.com | Plagiarized fact-checks from Lead Stories. | [76] | |
The California Republican | carepublican.com | Run by Devin Nunes' political campaign. | [74] | |
Descobrindo As Verdades | descobrindoasverdades.blogspot.com | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
Duboka Voda | dubokavoda.com | Partisan false fact-checking site in Croatia, per the Poynter Institute. | [74] | |
Faktiskt.eu | Faktiskt.eu | Spoof of Swedish fact-checking organization Faktiskt. | [77] | |
India News Network | indianewsnetwork.com | Same owner as India Vs Disinformation. | [78] | |
India Vs Disinformation | indiavsdisinformation.com | Owned by "a Canadian communications firm called Press Monitor" [79] | [79] [78] | |
Jigyasa Online | jigyasaonline.org | Same owner as India Vs Disinformation. | [78] | |
Middle East Guardians | meguardians.com | Published false fact-check about Jamal Khashoggi. | [80] | |
Notícias Brasil Online | noticiasbrasilonline.com.br | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
O Detetive | odetetive.com | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. The website owner was summoned by a regional court in Brazil for publishing a false story about the 2018 attack on Jair Bolsonaro. | [75] [81] | |
OpIndia | opindia.com | OpIndia is an Indian website that has been rejected by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Fact checkers certified by the IFCN have identified 25 fake news stories published by OpIndia between January 2018 and June 2020. | [82] [83] | |
Pensa Brasil | pensabrasil.com | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
Plantão Brasil | plantaobrasil.net | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
Shayeaat | shayeaat.ir | Partisan false fact-checking site in Iran, per the Poynter Institute. | [74] | |
Vøx | voxnews.info | Partisan false fact-checking site in Italy, per the Poynter Institute. Not to be confused with Vox, the American news site. | [74] | |
War on Fakes | waronfakes.com | A Russian website that promotes Russian propaganda and disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. | [84] [85] |
As of April 2024, NewsGuard has tracked at least 790 news/information websites automatically generated by machine learning models that span 16 languages. [86]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
airc.it | airc.it | [87] | ||
AlaskaCommons.com | AlaskaCommons.com | [88] | ||
BestBudgetUSA.com | BestBudgetUSA.com | [89] | ||
Biz Breaking News | bizbreakingnews.com | Summarizes The Financial Times and Fortune. | [90] | |
BNN Breaking | bnnbreaking.com | [91] | ||
bnn.network | ||||
Boluno.com | Boluno.com | [87] | ||
bosase.com | bosase.com | [87] | ||
Buckeye State Press | buckeyestatepress.com | Created by a journalist to demonstrate the ease of building generative AI-based political news sites. | [92] | |
Celeb Jihad | celebjihad.com | Described by the Daily Beast as a "satirical celebrity gossip website", [93] the site has spread real and fake nude images of celebrities using Photoshop and Generative AI. | [93] [94] [95] [96] | |
celebritiesdeaths.com | celebritiesdeaths.com | [97] [89] | ||
CountyLocalNews.com | CountyLocalNews.com | [89] | ||
Daily Business Post | [90] | |||
DailyHeadliner.com | DailyHeadliner.com | [98] | ||
Daily Time Update | [99] | |||
Famadillo.com | Famadillo.com | [97] [89] | ||
FilthyLucre.com | FilthyLucre.com | [89] | ||
FoodingWorld.com | FoodingWorld.com | [88] | ||
Getintoknowledge.com | Getintoknowledge.com | [97] [89] | ||
globalvillagespace.com | globalvillagespace.com | [98] | ||
HistoryFact.in | HistoryFact.in | [89] | ||
iBusiness Day | [99] | |||
Ireland Top News | irelandtopnews.com | [99] | ||
L'Observatoire de l'Europe | observatoiredeleurope.com | Accused of automatically plagiarizing stories from Euronews. | [100] | |
LiverPoolDigest.co.uk | LiverPoolDigest.co.uk | [98] | ||
Lunumi.com | Lunumi.com | [87] | ||
Medical Outline | medicaloutline.com | [99] | ||
NewsGPT | newsgpt.ai | [101] | ||
News Live 79 | [90] | |||
News You Can't Use | newsyoucantuse.com | [102] | ||
NoticiasDeEmprego.com.br | NoticiasDeEmprego.com.br | [88] | ||
NotRealNews.net | NotRealNews.net | [103] | ||
Roadan.com | Roadan.com | [98] | ||
Scoop Earth | ScoopEarth.com | [97] [89] | ||
setolu.com | setolu.com | [87] | ||
Time.news | Time.news | [88] | ||
TnewsNetwork.com | TnewsNetwork.com | [89] | ||
TopGolf.kr | TopGolf.kr | [98] | ||
topnews67.com | topnews67.com | Accused of plagiarizing story from The Last Line of Defense, possibly via ChatGPT. | [104] | |
TopStories.com.ng | TopStories.com.ng | [98] | ||
vatolu.com | vatolu.com | [87] | ||
Walli.us | Walli.us | [98] | ||
WaveFunction.info | WaveFunction.info | [89] | ||
WhatsNew2Day.com | WhatsNew2Day.com | [98] | ||
World-Today-News.com | World-Today-News.com | [88] |
The following table lists websites that have been both considered by fact-checkers as distributing false news and are run by organizations that have been designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
banned.video | banned.video | Sister site of InfoWars.
Warned by the US Food and Drug Administration for spreading misinformation on COVID-19 for "claims on videos posted on your websites that establish the intended use of your products and misleadingly represent them as safe and/or effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19." |
[105] [106] [107] | |
Bare Naked Islam | barenakedislam.com | [108] [109] | ||
Brighteon | Brighteon.com | Sister site of Natural News. | [110] | |
The Daily Stormer | DailyStormer.com | Per PolitiFact. | [19] [111] | |
Geller Report | Gellerreport.com | Registered through Pamela Geller's organization, the American Freedom Defense Initiative. | [40] [109] | |
HoggWatch | hoggwatch.com | Setup by Natural News founders to publish attacks against Parkland high school shooting survivors. | [112] [113] | |
InfoWars | infowars.com | Managed by Alex Jones. Has claimed that millions of people have voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election, that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, that the Boston Marathon bombing was a false flag attack, and that the Democratic Party was hosting a child sex slave ring out of a pizza restaurant. | [114] [115] | |
Natural News | naturalnews.com | Formerly NewsTarget, a website for the sale of various dietary supplements, promotion of alternative medicine, controversial nutrition and health claims, and various conspiracy theories, such as " chemtrails", chemophobic claims (including the purported dangers of fluoride in drinking water, anti-perspirants, laundry detergent, monosodium glutamate, aspartame), and purported health problems caused by allegedly "toxic" ingredients in vaccines, including the now-discredited link to autism. | [125] [126] [127] [128] [123] [124] | |
NewsTarget | newstarget.com | Sister site of Natural News. | [110] | |
Next News Network | nextnewsnetwork.com | Combined content from mainstream sites such as the Associated Press with content from sites such as RT and Sputnik. | [129] [130] [131] [132] | |
PrisonPlanet | prisonplanet.com | Sister site of InfoWars. | [133] | |
Red Ice | RedIce.tv | [134] [135] | ||
TruNews | trunews.com | [136] [137] [124] | ||
WorldNetDaily | wnd.com | A far-right website known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories, including the false claim that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. | [136] [138] [139] [123] [140] [124] |
Numerous websites have been created by companies that contain satirical or news parody content that is intended to be or has been designated by fact-checkers as fake news.
Examples of countries with troll farms that have been confirmed or suspected to be involved with fake news website networks include Cambodia, [141] Ghana, [142] North Macedonia, [143] the Republic of Georgia, [144] and Russia. [145]
The following table lists websites that have allowed users to generate their own hoaxes that appear in the form of news articles. While the stated purpose is for users to prank their friends, many of the resulting false stories have spread on social media and have led to harassment. [146]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
12minutos.com | 12minutos.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
24aktuelles.com | 24aktuelles.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
actualite.co | actualite.co | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
theasociatedpress.com | theasociatedpress.com | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [147] [148] | |
thebreakingnews.co | thebreakingnews.co | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
BreakingNews247.net | BreakingNews247.net | Impostor site, per PolitiFact. Same owner as React 365. | [19] [47] | |
BreakingNews365.net | BreakingNews365.net | Impostor site, per PolitiFact. Same owner as React 365. | [19] [47] | |
cbs-news.us | cbs-news.us | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [149] | |
cbsnews.us | cbsnews.us | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [149] | |
channel22news.com | channel22news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
Channel 23 News | Channel23News.com | Prank website for generating false stories. | [42] | |
Channel24news.com | Channel24news.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact. Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [19] [47] [146] | |
channel28news.com | channel28news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel33news.com | channel33news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel34news.com | channel34news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel40news.com | channel40news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel45news.com | channel45news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel46news.com | channel46news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel55news.com | channel55news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel56news.com | channel56news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel59news.com | channel59news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel60news.com | channel60news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel62news.com | channel62news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel63news.com | channel63news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel65news.com | channel65news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel66news.com | channel66news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel68news.com | channel68news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel77news.com | channel77news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
Clone Zone | clonezone.link | Impersonated The New York Times to spread the false story that Elizabeth Warren had endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016. | [150] [151] [152] [153] [154] [155] [156] | |
cnoticias.net | cnoticias.net | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
en-bref.fr | en-bref.fr | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
fakeawish.com | fakeawish.com | [157] | ||
The Fake News Generator | thefakenewsgenerator.com | [149] | ||
fakeShare | fakeshare.com | [158] [159] | ||
FeedNewz | feednewz.com | Renamed to prank.link. | [160] | |
nachrichten.de.com | nachrichten.de.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
nachrichten365.com | nachrichten365.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
net-infosnews.com | net-infosnews.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
thenewyorktimes.company | thenewyorktimes.company | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [147] [148] | |
Nipsy’s News | nipsysnews.com | [161] | ||
noticias-frescas.com | noticias-frescas.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
notizzia.com | notizzia.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
prank.link | prank.link | [160] [158] | ||
PunkShare | PunkShare.com | [162] | ||
React 365 | React365.com | This user-created fake news generator, supposedly for "pranking your friends", had at least two stories that went viral. | [21] [47] | |
routers.news | routers.news | Same owner as PunkShare. Spoof of Reuters. | [163] | |
SHRTURL | shrturl.co | [164] | ||
toutelinfo.fr | toutelinfo.fr | Same owner as React 365. | [47] |
Many fake news websites can be assessed as likely being part of the same network campaign if some combination of the following are true:
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Action News 3 | actionnews3.com | Spread death hoaxes about various public figures. | [21] [169] [170] | |
Breaking13News.com | Breaking13News.com | [169] [170] | ||
Daily Buzz Live | DailyBuzzLive.com | Per PolitiFact.
Republished a hoax about worldwide blackout, a false claim that had been spreading since 2012. Hosted on the same webserver as Action News 3. |
[19] [171] [172] [170] | |
dailyviralbuzz.com | dailyviralbuzz.com | [170] | ||
News4KTLA.com | News4KTLA.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Has the same IP address as Action News 3. Repurposed an Associated Press article with a false headline. Cited story from World News Daily Report. |
[19] [173] [174] [175] [176] [169] [170] | |
News4Local.com | News4Local.com | [169] [170] | ||
Now 8 News | Now8News.com | Started in 2015, this fake news website is also designed to look like a local television outlet. Several of the website's fake stories have successfully spread on social media. Has the same IP address as Action News 3. | [21] [177] [178] [173] [169] [170] | |
TheRacketReport.com | TheRacketReport.com | Per PolitiFact.
Has the same IP address as Action News 3. Repurposed an Associated Press article with a false headline. |
[19] [173] [174] [170] | |
realstonedtimes.com | realstonedtimes.com | [170] | ||
Straight Stoned | straightstoned.com | Hosted on the same webserver as Action News 3. | [47] [179] [170] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
abc14news.com | abc14news.com | Spoof of ABC News. | [180] [181] | |
abcnews-us.com | abcnews-us.com | Spoof of ABC News. | [21] [47] | |
abcnews5.com | abcnews5.com | Spoof of ABC News. | [182] | |
AlabamaObserver.com | AlabamaObserver.com | [19] [165] | ||
albertatimes.com | albertatimes.com | [165] | ||
Batty Post | battypost.com | Published a false claim about being acquired by East Asia Tribune, a page that has the same Google AdSense ID. | [165] [47] [183] [184] | |
Border Herald | borderherald.com | [165] | ||
Boston Leader | bostonleader.com | Possibly part of same network as Associated Media Coverage, another fake news site. | [19] [21] [185] [165] | |
boston-post.com | boston-post.com | Not to be confused with the
Boston Post.
Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. |
[180] [182] | |
cairnstimes.com | cairnstimes.com | [165] | ||
cbs15.com | cbs15.com | Spoof of CBS News. Possibly part of same network as abc14news.com. | [186] [187] | |
cbsnews10.com | cbsnews10.com | Spoof of CBS News. Part of same network as abc14news.com. | [180] [181] | |
cbsnews15.com | cbsnews15.com | Spoof of CBS News. | [182] | |
cbsnews24.com | cbsnews24.com | Spoof of CBS News. | [182] | |
cgcnews.com | cgcnews.com | Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] [186] | |
cnn-globalnews.com | cnn-globalnews.com | Impostor site of CNN. Published death hoax on Clint Eastwood. | [188] [165] [47] | |
cnn-internationaledition.com | cnn-internationaledition.com | Impostor site of CNN. | [165] [47] | |
coindesk-us.com | coindesk-us.com | Spoof of CoinDesk. | [182] | |
countyweekly.com | countyweekly.com | [47] | ||
dallastimes.us | dallastimes.us | [47] | ||
DenverInquirer.com | DenverInquirer.com | [19] [165] | ||
dublintribune.com | dublintribune.com | [47] | ||
East Asia Tribune | eastasiatribune.com | Published death hoax about Kim Jong-un. | [189] | |
Florida Sun Post | floridasunpost.com | Possibly part of same network as Associated Media Coverage, another fake news site. | [185] [19] [165] | |
focustimes.org | focustimes.org | [165] | ||
foreignjournal.com | foreignjournal.com | [165] | ||
fox-26houston.com | fox-26houston.com | [182] | ||
fox-32chicago.com | fox-32chicago.com | [182] | ||
foxnews-us.com | foxnews-us.com | Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. | [180] [182] | |
foxnews15.com | foxnews15.com | [182] | ||
freeinquirer.com | freeinquirer.com | [47] | ||
The Jackson Telegraph | jacksontelegraph.com | [188] [165] [47] | ||
longarticles.com | longarticles.com | [165] | ||
MississippiHerald.com | MississippiHerald.com | [19] [165] [47] | ||
nbc9news.com | nbc9news.com | Spoof of NBC. Part of same network as abc14news.com. | [180] [181] [186] [187] | |
nbcnews11.com | nbcnews11.com | [182] | ||
nbcnews15.com | nbcnews15.com | [182] | ||
nbcnews6.com | nbcnews6.com | [182] | ||
newjournal.us | newjournal.us | [47] | ||
thenyherald.com | thenyherald.com | Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] | |
pressunion.org | pressunion.org | [165] | ||
si-nba.com | si-nba.com | [182] | ||
sundayregister.com | sundayregister.com | [165] | ||
The Sunday Inquirer | sundayinquirer.com | [188] [165] | ||
The Sunday Post | sundaypost.org | [165] | ||
surreytelegraph.com | surreytelegraph.com | [47] | ||
sydneybulletin.com | sydneybulletin.com | [47] | ||
Telegraph Sun | telegraphsun.com | [165] | ||
timesofcambodia.com | timesofcambodia.com | [47] | ||
tmz-us.com | tmz-us.com | Spoof of TMZ. Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] | |
tvtnews.com | tvtnews.com | Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] [186] | |
unitednews.org | unitednews.org | [165] | ||
us-nbcnews.com | us-nbcnews.com | Spoof of NBC News. Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] | |
usatoday-go.com | usatoday-go.com | Has the same IP address as cbsnews10.com. | [180] [190] | |
Vancouver Inquirer | vancouverinquirer.com | [165] [47] | ||
vice-en-us.com | vice-en-us.com | Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. | [180] [182] | |
weekendherald.com | weekendherald.com | [165] | ||
yahoonews-us.com | yahoonews-us.com | Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. | [180] [182] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
20minutenews.com | 20minutenews.com | [47] [166] | ||
alertchild.com | alertchild.com | [47] [166] | ||
areyousleep.com | areyousleep.com | [47] [166] | ||
badcriminals.com | badcriminals.com | [47] [166] | ||
cartelreport.com | cartelreport.com | [47] [166] | ||
Celebtricity | celebtricity.com | Has falsely claimed that Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Chicago, Illinois after more than 300 people were shot in one night; that a Wendy's employee put vaginal discharge on a burger as revenge against a partner; and that Bryshere Y. Gray was Jay-Z's son. Contains a "notorious fauxtire and satire entertainment" disclaimer which used to read "the most notorious urban satirical entertainment website in the world". [191] | [192] [191] [193] | |
channel5000.com | channel5000.com | [47] [166] | ||
drugsofficial.com | drugsofficial.com | [47] [166] | ||
everydaybreakingnews.com | everydaybreakingnews.com | [47] [166] | ||
FedsAlert.com | FedsAlert.com | [19] [47] [166] | ||
folksvideo.com | folksvideo.com | [47] [166] | ||
thefrt.com | thefrt.com | [47] [166] | ||
jokerviral.com | jokerviral.com | [47] [166] | ||
mrnewswatch.com | mrnewswatch.com | [47] [166] | ||
Persecutes.com | Persecutes.com | [19] [47] [166] | ||
qualitysharing.com | qualitysharing.com | [47] [166] | ||
scaryhours.com | scaryhours.com | [47] [166] | ||
smhwtfnews.com | smhwtfnews.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzbreaking.com | tmzbreaking.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzbusiness.com | tmzbusiness.com | [166] | ||
tmzcomedy.com | tmzcomedy.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzhiphop.com | tmzhiphop.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzurban.com | tmzurban.com | [166] | ||
tmzuncut.com | tmzuncut.com | [47] [166] | ||
TMZWorldNews.com | TMZWorldNews.com | [19] [47] [166] | ||
tmzworldstar.com | tmzworldstar.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzworldstarnews.com | tmzworldstarnews.com | [47] [166] | ||
ViralActions.com | ViralActions.com | Cited story from World News Daily Report. | [19] [47] [166] [176] | |
viralcocaine.com | viralcocaine.com | [166] | ||
viraldevil.com | viraldevil.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralmugshot.com | viralmugshot.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralpropaganda.com | viralpropaganda.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralspeech.com | viralspeech.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralstupid.com | viralstupid.com | [47] [166] |
Used a technique called "domain hopping" - repeatedly switching domain names to stay ahead of advertising blacklists on social media. [194] [195]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
PoliticsFocus | anypolitical.com | [194] | ||
PoliticsFocus | cloudpolitical.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | goldpolitics.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | flexpolitics.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | jetpolitics.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | maxrepublican.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsbee.com | [194] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsedge.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsfast.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | Politicsfocus.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] [194] [196] [197] | |
PoliticsFocus | politicsmate.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicstec.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsvision.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | sunrepublican.com | [194] | ||
PoliticsFocus | totalpolitical.com | [196] |
The following article lists miscellaneous sites that are one-offs or otherwise lack information that would place them into one of the other categories above.
Some of these sites are intended to look like real publications (there are false versions of major outlets like ABC and MSNBC) but share only fake news; others are straight-up propaganda created by foreign nations (Russia and Macedonia, among others).
Narrowly defined, 'fake news' means a made-up story with an intention to deceive, often geared toward getting clicks.
The man behind one of America's biggest 'fake news' websites is a former BBC worker from London whose mother writes many of his stories. Sean Adl-Tabatabai, 35, runs YourNewsWire.com, the source of scores of dubious news stories, including claims that the Queen had threatened to abdicate if the UK voted against Brexit.
As of press time, the homepage of their website lists links to right-wing fake news sites like WorldNetDaily...
Fake news websites are those which intentionally, but not necessarily solely, publish hoaxes and disinformation for purposes other than news satire. Some of these sites use homograph spoofing attacks, typosquatting and other deceptive strategies similar to those used in phishing attacks to resemble genuine news outlets. [1] [2] [3]
Fake news sites deliberately publish hoaxes and disinformation to drive web traffic inflamed by social media. [4] [5] [6] These sites are distinguished from news satire (which is usually intended to be humorous) as they mislead and sometimes profit from readers' gullibility. [5] While most fake news sites are portrayed to be spinoffs of other news sites, some of these websites are examples of website spoofing, structured to make visitors believe they are visiting major news outlets like ABC News or MSNBC. [7] The New York Times pointed out that within a strict definition, "fake news" on the Internet referred to a fictitious article which was fabricated with the deliberate motivation to defraud readers, generally with the goal of profiting through clickbait. [8] PolitiFact described fake news as fabricated content designed to fool readers and subsequently made viral through the Internet to crowds that increase its dissemination. [9]
The New York Times noted in a December 2016 article that fake news had previously maintained a presence on the Internet and within tabloid journalism in the years prior to the 2016 U.S. election. [8] Except for the 2016 Philippine elections, [10] prior to the election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, fake news had not impacted the election process and subsequent events to such a high degree. [8] Subsequent to the 2016 election, the issue of fake news turned into a political weapon, with supporters of left-wing politics saying those on the opposite side of the spectrum spread falsehoods, and supporters of right-wing politics arguing such accusations were merely a way to censor conservative views. [8] Due to these back-and-forth complaints, the definition of fake news as used for such polemics became more vague. [8]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
American News | americannews.com | Published a false story claiming actor Denzel Washington endorsed Donald Trump for president. The fictional headline led to thousands of people sharing it on Facebook, a prominent example of fake news spreading on the social network prior to the 2016 presidential election. | [11] | |
Conservative 101 | conservative101.com | Falsely claimed that the White House fired Kellyanne Conway. | [11] [12] | |
Democratic Review | DemocraticReview.com | Owned by American Review LLC of Miami, the same company that owns American News (americannews.com), Conservative 101 and Liberal Society. | [12] | |
Liberal Society | LiberalSociety.com | Published a fake direct quote attributed to Obama, Falsely claimed that the White House fired Kellyanne Conway. | [11] [12] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative Frontline | conservativefrontline.com | [14] | ||
Denver Guardian | denverguardian.com | [14] | ||
DrudgeReport.com.co | DrudgeReport.com.co | Mimics the name of the Drudge Report. | [14] | |
United Media Publishing | unitedmediapublishing.com | [14] | ||
usatoday.com.co | usatoday.com.co | Defunct | Falsely reports celebrity appearances and filming locations in random local towns | [14] |
washingtonpost.com.co | washingtonpost.com.co | Originally registered by Jestin Coler. The Washington Post submitted a complaint against Coler's registration of the site with GoDaddy under the UDRP, and in 2015, an arbitral panel ruled that Coler's registration of the domain name was a form of bad-faith cybersquatting (specifically, typosquatting), "through a website that competes with Complainant through the use of fake news. ... The fake news content misleads readers and serves as 'click bait' to drive readers to other sites, or to share the fake news content with others on social networking websites, to generate advertising revenue." | [15] [14] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
ABCnews.com.co | ABCnews.com.co | Defunct | Owned by Paul Horner. Mimics the URL, design and logo of ABC News (owned by Disney–ABC Television Group). | [16] |
CBSnews.com.co | CBSnews.com.co | Mimics the URL, design and logo of CBS News. | [18] | |
christianfreedommovement.com | christianfreedommovement.com | [18] | ||
cnn.com.de | cnn.com.de | Impostor site of CNN. | [18] | |
isissingles.com | isissingles.com | [18] | ||
iywib.com | iywib.com | [18] | ||
keepdonaldtrump.com | keepdonaldtrump.com | [18] | ||
makeredhatswearableagain.com | makeredhatswearableagain.com | [18] | ||
mericaland.com | mericaland.com | [18] | ||
microsoftsite.com | microsoftsite.com | [18] | ||
nationalgeographic.com.co | nationalgeographic.com.co | Spoof of National Geographic. | [18] | |
nationalreview.biz | nationalreview.biz | Spoof of National Review. | [18] | |
NBC.com.co | NBC.com.co | Imitates NBC. | [19] [18] | |
NBCNews.com.co | NBCNews.com.co | Defunct | Mimics the URL, design and logo of NBC News. | [20] |
News Examiner | newsexaminer.net | Started in 2015 by Paul Horner, the lead writer of the National Report. This website has been known to mix real news along with its fake news. | [21] | |
paulhorner.org | paulhorner.org | [18] | ||
snopes.com.co | snopes.com.co | Imposter site of Snopes. | [18] | |
St George Gazette | stgeorgegazette.com | [18] [22] [23] | ||
superofficialnews.com | superofficialnews.com | [18] | ||
thephoenixnewtimes.com | thephoenixnewtimes.com | [18] | ||
trumptized.com | trumptized.com | [18] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
16WMPO | 16WMPO.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [24] [25] | |
AlexJones.xyz | AlexJones.xyz | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [26] | |
alynews.com | alynews.com | Part of a network that posted a false story that there was a sequel to the movie
Step Brothers in the works in 2016.
Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[27] [28] [26] | |
channel16news.com | channel16news.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
channel17news.com | channel17news.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [29] | |
Channel 18 News | Channel18News.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [30] [24] | |
clancyreport.com | clancyreport.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
Daily News 10 | DailyNews10.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [31] [24] | |
Daily News 11 | dailynews11.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
Daily News 5 | DailyNews5.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [26] [24] | |
FoxBusiness.xyz | FoxBusiness.xyz | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [26] | |
Headline Brief | headlinebrief.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
km8news.com | km8news.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
KMT 11 News | kmt11.com | Defunct | Falsely reports celebrity appearances and filming locations in random local towns. Before the website went down, it referred to itself as a "fantasy news website".
[32]
[33]
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[34] [32] [33] [24] |
knp7.com | knp7.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
kspm33.com | kspm33.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
KUPR7 | kupr7.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [35] [36] | |
ky6news.com | ky6news.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
KY12News.com | KY12News.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [24] | |
KYPO6 | kypo6.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
Local 31 News | Local31News.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [31] [24] | |
localnews33.com | localnews33.com | Part of the same network as alynews.com | [27] [28] | |
lopezreport.com | lopezreport.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
maywoodpost.com | maywoodpost.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [37] | |
mbynews.com | mbynews.com | Part of the same network as alynews.com | [27] [28] [26] | |
McKenzie Post | mckenziepost.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [28] [26] | |
NewsDaily12.com | NewsDaily12.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. |
[19] [24] [25] | |
newsdaily27.com | newsdaily27.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
News Now 11 | newsnow11.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [38] | |
The North Devon Journal | northdevonjournal.co.uk | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [29] | |
oreillypost.com | oreillypost.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
WBN 12 News | wbn12.com | Likely part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [31] | |
wcpm3.com | wcpm3.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
wleb21.com | wleb21.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
WRPT 16 News | wrpt16.com | Part of the same network as WTOE 5 News. | [27] [26] | |
WTOE 5 News | wtoe5news.com | Original source of false claim that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. | [39] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Neon Nettle | neonnettle.com | Per FactCheck.org and PolitiFact.
Stated by Snopes to be "interrelated" with NewsPunch and Your News Wire. |
[19] [40] [41] | |
Newspunch | Newspunch.com | Alternative name for YourNewsWire. | [40] | |
The People's Voice (formerly NewsPunch and Your News Wire) | thepeoplesvoice.tv | Founded by Sean Adl-Tabatabai and Sinclair Treadway in 2014. It has published fake stories, such as "claims that the Queen had threatened to abdicate if the UK voted against Brexit." Its name was changed to NewsPunch in 2018 and The People's Voice in 2023. | [42] [19] [40] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] | |
Your News Wire | yournewswire.com | Former name for The People's Voice. | [42] [19] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
ABCNews1.us | ABCNews1.us | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
African News Updates | africannewupsdate.com | Same owner as News Updates South Africa. Published a false story about election fraud during the 2016 municipal elections in South Africa, which led to the Electoral Commission of South Africa filing a criminal complaint against the site owner. | [51] [52] | |
AJUAnews | AJUAnews.com | Plagiarized content from The Last Line of Defense. Reportedly owned by individual based in Pakistan. | [50] | |
ALNewsNetwork.press | ALNewsNetwork.press | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
America Talks | Americatalks.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] | |
America's Freedom Fighters | Americasfreedomfighters.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] | |
Banned Information | BannedInformation.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] | |
Conservative Beaver | conservativebeaver.com | Published false anti-vaccination claims related to Pfizer, leading to Pfizer filing a petition to compel the site host to reveal the site owner's identity. | [53] | |
Dos Palos News | dospalosnews.com | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
FB News Cycle | Fbnewscycle.com | Per FactCheck.org.
Same owner as Banned Information. |
[40] | |
HealthFacts.pro | HealthFacts.pro | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
Hot Global News | hotglobalnews.com | [47] [54] | ||
ILoveQuilting.pro | ILoveQuilting.pro | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
Leading Report | theleadingreport.com | A website and Twitter account that promotes misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and United States politics. | [55] | |
National News Bulletin | nationalnewsbulletin.com | Same Google Analytics ID as News Updates South Africa. | [51] [52] | |
The National Sun | thenationalsun.com | Same owners as Hot Global News. | [54] [56] | |
net-breaking.com | net-breaking.com | Affiliated with Leading Report. | [55] | |
News@Last | newsatlast.com | Fake news website in South Africa, per Africa Check, an IFCN signatory.
Same owner as News Updates South Africa. |
[51] [52] | |
News Updates South Africa | newsupdatessa.site | Per Africa Check and News24. | [57] [51] | |
Ohio Press Pro | ohiopress.pro | Same owner as AJUAnews. | [50] | |
thepedogate.com | thepedogate.com | Part of same network as America Talks. Spread the false Pizzagate conspiracy theory. | [40] | |
The Red Panther | theredpanther.com | Former name of Toronto Today. | [53] | |
Right Wing Tribune | Rightwingtribune.com | Per FactCheck.org.
Same owners as America's Freedom Fighters. |
[40] | |
Toronto99.com | Toronto99.com | Had the same Google Adsense code as The Conservative Beaver. | [53] | |
Toronto Today | torontotoday.net | Had the same Google Adsense code as The Conservative Beaver. | [53] | |
Vancouver Times | vancouvertimes.org | Likely shares the same site owner as the Conservative Beaver and Toronto Today. | [58] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Climate Intelligence Foundation (CLINTEL) | clintel.org | [59] [60] | ||
NoTricksZone | notrickszone.com | [59] [60] | ||
Klimaat Feiten | klimaatfeiten.nl | [59] [60] | ||
Climate Gate | climategate.nl | [59] [60] | ||
Energy Talking Points | energytalkingpoints.com | [59] [60] | ||
Clima et Verité | climatetverite.net | [59] [60] | ||
Climato-Réalistes | climato-realistes.fr | [59] [60] | ||
Global Warming Scare | globalwarmingscare.wordpress.com | [60] | ||
Climate Fraud | klima-schwindel.com | [60] | ||
Climate Skeptical | climat-sceptique.over-blog.com | [60] | ||
Climate Depot | climatedepot.com | [60] | ||
Climate Exit (CLEXIT) | clexit.net | [60] | ||
Climate Resistance | climate-resistance.org | [60] | ||
CO2 Coalition | co2coalition.org | [60] | ||
The Daily Sceptic | dailysceptic.org | Publishes anti-vaccine and climate change denial misinformation. | [61] [59] | |
De Groene Rekenkamer | groene-rekenkamer.nl | [60] | ||
Destaatvanhet Klimaat | destaatvanhet-klimaat.nl | [60] | ||
Ecologia, Clima, Aquecimento | ecologia-clima-aquecimento.blogspot.com | [60] | ||
Climate Curious | shortfall.blog | [60] | ||
Climate Etc | judithcurry.com | [60] | ||
Environmental Progress | environmentalprogress.org | [60] | ||
European Climate Realist Network | ecr.network | [60] | ||
Everything Climate | everythingclimate.com | [60] | ||
Klimaat Gek | klimaatgek.nl | [60] | ||
Klima Realisme | klimarealisme.dk | [60] | ||
Klima Realistene | klimarealistene.com | [60] | ||
Klimat Sans | klimatsans.com | [60] | ||
Klimat Upplysningen | klimatupplysningen.se | [60] | ||
Koklimaat | koklimaat.nl | [60] | ||
La Question Climatique | laquestionclimatique.org | [60] | ||
Science, Climat et Énergie | science-climat-energie.be | [60] | ||
Sky Fall | skyfall.fr | [60] | ||
Weather Action | weatheraction.com | [60] | ||
A Grande Farsa do Aquecimento Global | agfdag.wordpress.com | [60] |
Examples of disinformation campaigns from companies include Eliminalia, a reputation management firm that created a network of over 600 websites for its clients, [62] [63] and Regency Enterprises, which created sites to promote the movie A Cure for Wellness. [64] [65]
Examples of countries with political actors that have been confirmed or suspected to be involved with fake news website networks include Brazil, [66] India, [67] Iran, [3] Italy, [68] the People's Republic of China, [69] the Philippines, [70] Russia, [71] Ukraine (Luhansk), [72] and the United States. [73]
According to the Poynter Institute, there are four categories of false fact-checking websites:
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
AosFatos.com | AosFatos.com | Spoof of Brazilian fact-checking organization Aos Fatos. | [75] | |
Business2Community | business2community.com | Plagiarized fact-checks from Lead Stories. | [76] | |
The California Republican | carepublican.com | Run by Devin Nunes' political campaign. | [74] | |
Descobrindo As Verdades | descobrindoasverdades.blogspot.com | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
Duboka Voda | dubokavoda.com | Partisan false fact-checking site in Croatia, per the Poynter Institute. | [74] | |
Faktiskt.eu | Faktiskt.eu | Spoof of Swedish fact-checking organization Faktiskt. | [77] | |
India News Network | indianewsnetwork.com | Same owner as India Vs Disinformation. | [78] | |
India Vs Disinformation | indiavsdisinformation.com | Owned by "a Canadian communications firm called Press Monitor" [79] | [79] [78] | |
Jigyasa Online | jigyasaonline.org | Same owner as India Vs Disinformation. | [78] | |
Middle East Guardians | meguardians.com | Published false fact-check about Jamal Khashoggi. | [80] | |
Notícias Brasil Online | noticiasbrasilonline.com.br | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
O Detetive | odetetive.com | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. The website owner was summoned by a regional court in Brazil for publishing a false story about the 2018 attack on Jair Bolsonaro. | [75] [81] | |
OpIndia | opindia.com | OpIndia is an Indian website that has been rejected by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Fact checkers certified by the IFCN have identified 25 fake news stories published by OpIndia between January 2018 and June 2020. | [82] [83] | |
Pensa Brasil | pensabrasil.com | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
Plantão Brasil | plantaobrasil.net | Has the same Google AdSense and Google Analytics codes as AosFatos.com. | [75] | |
Shayeaat | shayeaat.ir | Partisan false fact-checking site in Iran, per the Poynter Institute. | [74] | |
Vøx | voxnews.info | Partisan false fact-checking site in Italy, per the Poynter Institute. Not to be confused with Vox, the American news site. | [74] | |
War on Fakes | waronfakes.com | A Russian website that promotes Russian propaganda and disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. | [84] [85] |
As of April 2024, NewsGuard has tracked at least 790 news/information websites automatically generated by machine learning models that span 16 languages. [86]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
airc.it | airc.it | [87] | ||
AlaskaCommons.com | AlaskaCommons.com | [88] | ||
BestBudgetUSA.com | BestBudgetUSA.com | [89] | ||
Biz Breaking News | bizbreakingnews.com | Summarizes The Financial Times and Fortune. | [90] | |
BNN Breaking | bnnbreaking.com | [91] | ||
bnn.network | ||||
Boluno.com | Boluno.com | [87] | ||
bosase.com | bosase.com | [87] | ||
Buckeye State Press | buckeyestatepress.com | Created by a journalist to demonstrate the ease of building generative AI-based political news sites. | [92] | |
Celeb Jihad | celebjihad.com | Described by the Daily Beast as a "satirical celebrity gossip website", [93] the site has spread real and fake nude images of celebrities using Photoshop and Generative AI. | [93] [94] [95] [96] | |
celebritiesdeaths.com | celebritiesdeaths.com | [97] [89] | ||
CountyLocalNews.com | CountyLocalNews.com | [89] | ||
Daily Business Post | [90] | |||
DailyHeadliner.com | DailyHeadliner.com | [98] | ||
Daily Time Update | [99] | |||
Famadillo.com | Famadillo.com | [97] [89] | ||
FilthyLucre.com | FilthyLucre.com | [89] | ||
FoodingWorld.com | FoodingWorld.com | [88] | ||
Getintoknowledge.com | Getintoknowledge.com | [97] [89] | ||
globalvillagespace.com | globalvillagespace.com | [98] | ||
HistoryFact.in | HistoryFact.in | [89] | ||
iBusiness Day | [99] | |||
Ireland Top News | irelandtopnews.com | [99] | ||
L'Observatoire de l'Europe | observatoiredeleurope.com | Accused of automatically plagiarizing stories from Euronews. | [100] | |
LiverPoolDigest.co.uk | LiverPoolDigest.co.uk | [98] | ||
Lunumi.com | Lunumi.com | [87] | ||
Medical Outline | medicaloutline.com | [99] | ||
NewsGPT | newsgpt.ai | [101] | ||
News Live 79 | [90] | |||
News You Can't Use | newsyoucantuse.com | [102] | ||
NoticiasDeEmprego.com.br | NoticiasDeEmprego.com.br | [88] | ||
NotRealNews.net | NotRealNews.net | [103] | ||
Roadan.com | Roadan.com | [98] | ||
Scoop Earth | ScoopEarth.com | [97] [89] | ||
setolu.com | setolu.com | [87] | ||
Time.news | Time.news | [88] | ||
TnewsNetwork.com | TnewsNetwork.com | [89] | ||
TopGolf.kr | TopGolf.kr | [98] | ||
topnews67.com | topnews67.com | Accused of plagiarizing story from The Last Line of Defense, possibly via ChatGPT. | [104] | |
TopStories.com.ng | TopStories.com.ng | [98] | ||
vatolu.com | vatolu.com | [87] | ||
Walli.us | Walli.us | [98] | ||
WaveFunction.info | WaveFunction.info | [89] | ||
WhatsNew2Day.com | WhatsNew2Day.com | [98] | ||
World-Today-News.com | World-Today-News.com | [88] |
The following table lists websites that have been both considered by fact-checkers as distributing false news and are run by organizations that have been designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
banned.video | banned.video | Sister site of InfoWars.
Warned by the US Food and Drug Administration for spreading misinformation on COVID-19 for "claims on videos posted on your websites that establish the intended use of your products and misleadingly represent them as safe and/or effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19." |
[105] [106] [107] | |
Bare Naked Islam | barenakedislam.com | [108] [109] | ||
Brighteon | Brighteon.com | Sister site of Natural News. | [110] | |
The Daily Stormer | DailyStormer.com | Per PolitiFact. | [19] [111] | |
Geller Report | Gellerreport.com | Registered through Pamela Geller's organization, the American Freedom Defense Initiative. | [40] [109] | |
HoggWatch | hoggwatch.com | Setup by Natural News founders to publish attacks against Parkland high school shooting survivors. | [112] [113] | |
InfoWars | infowars.com | Managed by Alex Jones. Has claimed that millions of people have voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election, that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, that the Boston Marathon bombing was a false flag attack, and that the Democratic Party was hosting a child sex slave ring out of a pizza restaurant. | [114] [115] | |
Natural News | naturalnews.com | Formerly NewsTarget, a website for the sale of various dietary supplements, promotion of alternative medicine, controversial nutrition and health claims, and various conspiracy theories, such as " chemtrails", chemophobic claims (including the purported dangers of fluoride in drinking water, anti-perspirants, laundry detergent, monosodium glutamate, aspartame), and purported health problems caused by allegedly "toxic" ingredients in vaccines, including the now-discredited link to autism. | [125] [126] [127] [128] [123] [124] | |
NewsTarget | newstarget.com | Sister site of Natural News. | [110] | |
Next News Network | nextnewsnetwork.com | Combined content from mainstream sites such as the Associated Press with content from sites such as RT and Sputnik. | [129] [130] [131] [132] | |
PrisonPlanet | prisonplanet.com | Sister site of InfoWars. | [133] | |
Red Ice | RedIce.tv | [134] [135] | ||
TruNews | trunews.com | [136] [137] [124] | ||
WorldNetDaily | wnd.com | A far-right website known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories, including the false claim that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. | [136] [138] [139] [123] [140] [124] |
Numerous websites have been created by companies that contain satirical or news parody content that is intended to be or has been designated by fact-checkers as fake news.
Examples of countries with troll farms that have been confirmed or suspected to be involved with fake news website networks include Cambodia, [141] Ghana, [142] North Macedonia, [143] the Republic of Georgia, [144] and Russia. [145]
The following table lists websites that have allowed users to generate their own hoaxes that appear in the form of news articles. While the stated purpose is for users to prank their friends, many of the resulting false stories have spread on social media and have led to harassment. [146]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
12minutos.com | 12minutos.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
24aktuelles.com | 24aktuelles.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
actualite.co | actualite.co | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
theasociatedpress.com | theasociatedpress.com | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [147] [148] | |
thebreakingnews.co | thebreakingnews.co | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
BreakingNews247.net | BreakingNews247.net | Impostor site, per PolitiFact. Same owner as React 365. | [19] [47] | |
BreakingNews365.net | BreakingNews365.net | Impostor site, per PolitiFact. Same owner as React 365. | [19] [47] | |
cbs-news.us | cbs-news.us | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [149] | |
cbsnews.us | cbsnews.us | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [149] | |
channel22news.com | channel22news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
Channel 23 News | Channel23News.com | Prank website for generating false stories. | [42] | |
Channel24news.com | Channel24news.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact. Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [19] [47] [146] | |
channel28news.com | channel28news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel33news.com | channel33news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel34news.com | channel34news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel40news.com | channel40news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel45news.com | channel45news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel46news.com | channel46news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel55news.com | channel55news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel56news.com | channel56news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel59news.com | channel59news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel60news.com | channel60news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel62news.com | channel62news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel63news.com | channel63news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel65news.com | channel65news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel66news.com | channel66news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel68news.com | channel68news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
channel77news.com | channel77news.com | Same owner as Channel 23 News. | [47] [146] | |
Clone Zone | clonezone.link | Impersonated The New York Times to spread the false story that Elizabeth Warren had endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016. | [150] [151] [152] [153] [154] [155] [156] | |
cnoticias.net | cnoticias.net | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
en-bref.fr | en-bref.fr | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
fakeawish.com | fakeawish.com | [157] | ||
The Fake News Generator | thefakenewsgenerator.com | [149] | ||
fakeShare | fakeshare.com | [158] [159] | ||
FeedNewz | feednewz.com | Renamed to prank.link. | [160] | |
nachrichten.de.com | nachrichten.de.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
nachrichten365.com | nachrichten365.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
net-infosnews.com | net-infosnews.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
thenewyorktimes.company | thenewyorktimes.company | Same owner as The Fake News Generator. | [147] [148] | |
Nipsy’s News | nipsysnews.com | [161] | ||
noticias-frescas.com | noticias-frescas.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
notizzia.com | notizzia.com | Same owner as React 365. | [47] | |
prank.link | prank.link | [160] [158] | ||
PunkShare | PunkShare.com | [162] | ||
React 365 | React365.com | This user-created fake news generator, supposedly for "pranking your friends", had at least two stories that went viral. | [21] [47] | |
routers.news | routers.news | Same owner as PunkShare. Spoof of Reuters. | [163] | |
SHRTURL | shrturl.co | [164] | ||
toutelinfo.fr | toutelinfo.fr | Same owner as React 365. | [47] |
Many fake news websites can be assessed as likely being part of the same network campaign if some combination of the following are true:
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Action News 3 | actionnews3.com | Spread death hoaxes about various public figures. | [21] [169] [170] | |
Breaking13News.com | Breaking13News.com | [169] [170] | ||
Daily Buzz Live | DailyBuzzLive.com | Per PolitiFact.
Republished a hoax about worldwide blackout, a false claim that had been spreading since 2012. Hosted on the same webserver as Action News 3. |
[19] [171] [172] [170] | |
dailyviralbuzz.com | dailyviralbuzz.com | [170] | ||
News4KTLA.com | News4KTLA.com | Impostor site, per PolitiFact.
Has the same IP address as Action News 3. Repurposed an Associated Press article with a false headline. Cited story from World News Daily Report. |
[19] [173] [174] [175] [176] [169] [170] | |
News4Local.com | News4Local.com | [169] [170] | ||
Now 8 News | Now8News.com | Started in 2015, this fake news website is also designed to look like a local television outlet. Several of the website's fake stories have successfully spread on social media. Has the same IP address as Action News 3. | [21] [177] [178] [173] [169] [170] | |
TheRacketReport.com | TheRacketReport.com | Per PolitiFact.
Has the same IP address as Action News 3. Repurposed an Associated Press article with a false headline. |
[19] [173] [174] [170] | |
realstonedtimes.com | realstonedtimes.com | [170] | ||
Straight Stoned | straightstoned.com | Hosted on the same webserver as Action News 3. | [47] [179] [170] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
abc14news.com | abc14news.com | Spoof of ABC News. | [180] [181] | |
abcnews-us.com | abcnews-us.com | Spoof of ABC News. | [21] [47] | |
abcnews5.com | abcnews5.com | Spoof of ABC News. | [182] | |
AlabamaObserver.com | AlabamaObserver.com | [19] [165] | ||
albertatimes.com | albertatimes.com | [165] | ||
Batty Post | battypost.com | Published a false claim about being acquired by East Asia Tribune, a page that has the same Google AdSense ID. | [165] [47] [183] [184] | |
Border Herald | borderherald.com | [165] | ||
Boston Leader | bostonleader.com | Possibly part of same network as Associated Media Coverage, another fake news site. | [19] [21] [185] [165] | |
boston-post.com | boston-post.com | Not to be confused with the
Boston Post.
Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. |
[180] [182] | |
cairnstimes.com | cairnstimes.com | [165] | ||
cbs15.com | cbs15.com | Spoof of CBS News. Possibly part of same network as abc14news.com. | [186] [187] | |
cbsnews10.com | cbsnews10.com | Spoof of CBS News. Part of same network as abc14news.com. | [180] [181] | |
cbsnews15.com | cbsnews15.com | Spoof of CBS News. | [182] | |
cbsnews24.com | cbsnews24.com | Spoof of CBS News. | [182] | |
cgcnews.com | cgcnews.com | Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] [186] | |
cnn-globalnews.com | cnn-globalnews.com | Impostor site of CNN. Published death hoax on Clint Eastwood. | [188] [165] [47] | |
cnn-internationaledition.com | cnn-internationaledition.com | Impostor site of CNN. | [165] [47] | |
coindesk-us.com | coindesk-us.com | Spoof of CoinDesk. | [182] | |
countyweekly.com | countyweekly.com | [47] | ||
dallastimes.us | dallastimes.us | [47] | ||
DenverInquirer.com | DenverInquirer.com | [19] [165] | ||
dublintribune.com | dublintribune.com | [47] | ||
East Asia Tribune | eastasiatribune.com | Published death hoax about Kim Jong-un. | [189] | |
Florida Sun Post | floridasunpost.com | Possibly part of same network as Associated Media Coverage, another fake news site. | [185] [19] [165] | |
focustimes.org | focustimes.org | [165] | ||
foreignjournal.com | foreignjournal.com | [165] | ||
fox-26houston.com | fox-26houston.com | [182] | ||
fox-32chicago.com | fox-32chicago.com | [182] | ||
foxnews-us.com | foxnews-us.com | Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. | [180] [182] | |
foxnews15.com | foxnews15.com | [182] | ||
freeinquirer.com | freeinquirer.com | [47] | ||
The Jackson Telegraph | jacksontelegraph.com | [188] [165] [47] | ||
longarticles.com | longarticles.com | [165] | ||
MississippiHerald.com | MississippiHerald.com | [19] [165] [47] | ||
nbc9news.com | nbc9news.com | Spoof of NBC. Part of same network as abc14news.com. | [180] [181] [186] [187] | |
nbcnews11.com | nbcnews11.com | [182] | ||
nbcnews15.com | nbcnews15.com | [182] | ||
nbcnews6.com | nbcnews6.com | [182] | ||
newjournal.us | newjournal.us | [47] | ||
thenyherald.com | thenyherald.com | Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] | |
pressunion.org | pressunion.org | [165] | ||
si-nba.com | si-nba.com | [182] | ||
sundayregister.com | sundayregister.com | [165] | ||
The Sunday Inquirer | sundayinquirer.com | [188] [165] | ||
The Sunday Post | sundaypost.org | [165] | ||
surreytelegraph.com | surreytelegraph.com | [47] | ||
sydneybulletin.com | sydneybulletin.com | [47] | ||
Telegraph Sun | telegraphsun.com | [165] | ||
timesofcambodia.com | timesofcambodia.com | [47] | ||
tmz-us.com | tmz-us.com | Spoof of TMZ. Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] | |
tvtnews.com | tvtnews.com | Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] [186] | |
unitednews.org | unitednews.org | [165] | ||
us-nbcnews.com | us-nbcnews.com | Spoof of NBC News. Part of the same network as nbc9news.com. | [187] | |
usatoday-go.com | usatoday-go.com | Has the same IP address as cbsnews10.com. | [180] [190] | |
Vancouver Inquirer | vancouverinquirer.com | [165] [47] | ||
vice-en-us.com | vice-en-us.com | Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. | [180] [182] | |
weekendherald.com | weekendherald.com | [165] | ||
yahoonews-us.com | yahoonews-us.com | Part of the same network as abcnews-us.com. | [180] [182] |
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
20minutenews.com | 20minutenews.com | [47] [166] | ||
alertchild.com | alertchild.com | [47] [166] | ||
areyousleep.com | areyousleep.com | [47] [166] | ||
badcriminals.com | badcriminals.com | [47] [166] | ||
cartelreport.com | cartelreport.com | [47] [166] | ||
Celebtricity | celebtricity.com | Has falsely claimed that Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Chicago, Illinois after more than 300 people were shot in one night; that a Wendy's employee put vaginal discharge on a burger as revenge against a partner; and that Bryshere Y. Gray was Jay-Z's son. Contains a "notorious fauxtire and satire entertainment" disclaimer which used to read "the most notorious urban satirical entertainment website in the world". [191] | [192] [191] [193] | |
channel5000.com | channel5000.com | [47] [166] | ||
drugsofficial.com | drugsofficial.com | [47] [166] | ||
everydaybreakingnews.com | everydaybreakingnews.com | [47] [166] | ||
FedsAlert.com | FedsAlert.com | [19] [47] [166] | ||
folksvideo.com | folksvideo.com | [47] [166] | ||
thefrt.com | thefrt.com | [47] [166] | ||
jokerviral.com | jokerviral.com | [47] [166] | ||
mrnewswatch.com | mrnewswatch.com | [47] [166] | ||
Persecutes.com | Persecutes.com | [19] [47] [166] | ||
qualitysharing.com | qualitysharing.com | [47] [166] | ||
scaryhours.com | scaryhours.com | [47] [166] | ||
smhwtfnews.com | smhwtfnews.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzbreaking.com | tmzbreaking.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzbusiness.com | tmzbusiness.com | [166] | ||
tmzcomedy.com | tmzcomedy.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzhiphop.com | tmzhiphop.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzurban.com | tmzurban.com | [166] | ||
tmzuncut.com | tmzuncut.com | [47] [166] | ||
TMZWorldNews.com | TMZWorldNews.com | [19] [47] [166] | ||
tmzworldstar.com | tmzworldstar.com | [47] [166] | ||
tmzworldstarnews.com | tmzworldstarnews.com | [47] [166] | ||
ViralActions.com | ViralActions.com | Cited story from World News Daily Report. | [19] [47] [166] [176] | |
viralcocaine.com | viralcocaine.com | [166] | ||
viraldevil.com | viraldevil.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralmugshot.com | viralmugshot.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralpropaganda.com | viralpropaganda.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralspeech.com | viralspeech.com | [47] [166] | ||
viralstupid.com | viralstupid.com | [47] [166] |
Used a technique called "domain hopping" - repeatedly switching domain names to stay ahead of advertising blacklists on social media. [194] [195]
Name | Domain | Status | Notes | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|
PoliticsFocus | anypolitical.com | [194] | ||
PoliticsFocus | cloudpolitical.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | goldpolitics.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | flexpolitics.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | jetpolitics.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | maxrepublican.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsbee.com | [194] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsedge.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsfast.com | [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | Politicsfocus.com | Per FactCheck.org. | [40] [194] [196] [197] | |
PoliticsFocus | politicsmate.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicstec.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | politicsvision.com | [194] [196] | ||
PoliticsFocus | sunrepublican.com | [194] | ||
PoliticsFocus | totalpolitical.com | [196] |
The following article lists miscellaneous sites that are one-offs or otherwise lack information that would place them into one of the other categories above.
Some of these sites are intended to look like real publications (there are false versions of major outlets like ABC and MSNBC) but share only fake news; others are straight-up propaganda created by foreign nations (Russia and Macedonia, among others).
Narrowly defined, 'fake news' means a made-up story with an intention to deceive, often geared toward getting clicks.
The man behind one of America's biggest 'fake news' websites is a former BBC worker from London whose mother writes many of his stories. Sean Adl-Tabatabai, 35, runs YourNewsWire.com, the source of scores of dubious news stories, including claims that the Queen had threatened to abdicate if the UK voted against Brexit.
As of press time, the homepage of their website lists links to right-wing fake news sites like WorldNetDaily...