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Dear Friend,
In the newsletter this week...
But first...
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Google’s search results and its AI overview gave misleading answers to questions about the number of crimes committed by asylum seekers in the UK—quoting figures that were actually from 2017 in Germany.
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A misleading asylum seekers claim appearing on Google search
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There’s no evidence these figures reflect the current crime rate among asylum seekers in the UK, though official data is limited and neither the Office for National Statistics nor the Home Office publish equivalent UK figures.
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In recent months we’ve seen screenshots of some of these misleading Google search results circulated on social media.
When we contacted Google about this last week, a spokesperson said the company would use examples like this “to improve and take appropriate action under our policies”.
Following this, the misleading results seem to be no longer appearing in searches on the topic.
Internet companies should take care not to promote false or misleading information, particularly if it has the potential to cause harm.
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Best wishes,
Craig, Digital Campaigns Manager—Full Fact
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P.S. You might also remember when we uncovered Amazon Alexa attributing misinformation to Full Fact and other fact checkers. Not once but twice earlier this year.
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Posts circulating widely on social media claim that the methane-reducing cow feed additive Bovaer can cause cancer and is linked to Bill Gates. Readers have asked us about them.
Bovaer has been deemed safe by food safety authorities in the approved doses, and Bill Gates is not linked to Bovaer’s development. We’ve gone into more detail in our latest fact check on the subject.
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The health secretary Wes Streeting recently said that most young smokers will never be able to break their addiction, and also suggested that smoking “will eventually kill” two-in-three of them.
He made the comments during a debate in Parliament on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, but neither claim is supported by the evidence.
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A video on social media makes several incorrect claims about food allowances and subsidies for MPs. In the clip, a person reads out what she says is “the Terrace Cafeteria menu for yesterday”, which refers to one of several venues in the Houses of Parliament.
She then says: “They [MPs] get a £56 pound a day, I think it is, allowance. Breakfast allowance.”
But this is not correct—MPs do not receive a breakfast allowance of £56 a day. We’ve written about similar claims many times before.
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Contract: Fixed Term Contract (12 months)
Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 pro-rata per annum depending on experience
Closing: 10am on Monday 27 January 2025
We’re recruiting for a Video Producer to craft engaging video content for our website and social media channels. If you’re passionate about video storytelling and love making complex topics clear, accessible and engaging then this could be the role for you.
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Contract: Maternity cover (9 to 12 months)
Salary: £42,000 - £50,000 pro-rata per annum
Closing: 10am on Monday 13 January 2025
At Full Fact we care about people. We’re looking for a People Partner (maternity cover) to support our team in our remote-first working environment.
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Contract: Fixed Term Contract (6 months)
Salary: £26,700 - £38,535
Closing: 10am on Monday 27 January 2025
We're recruiting a Politics Journalist to lead the work on our new Government Tracker. Help us hold the government to account on the delivery of its promises, and rebuild trust in UK politics.
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Contract: Permanent
Salary: £41,000 - £44,000 per annum
Closing: 10am Wednesday 15 January 2025
Full Fact fights bad information. We’re recruiting for a Policy Manager (Misinformation) to maximise our influence over how government and public bodies address the harms of bad information.
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Fee: Between £5,000 - £6,000 in total (depending on experience) for approx. 15 days work between early February and end of March 2025.
Closing: 10am on Monday 13 January 2025
We’re looking for a talented copywriter or editor to work with us on our 2025 report on the state of misinformation. This is an exciting project which we hope will shape the impact of our work for months to follow.
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Stop the spread of bad information
Find these updates useful? We'd be incredibly grateful if you could share our fact checks and help more people access good information.
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All the best,
Team Full Fact
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