FactReader checks and debunks false information by assembling simulated information alongside verified analysis aimed towards transparency. It was launched to provide immediate exposure of false stories created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers.

We have performed the remarkable feat of being decidedly unbiased in every possible direction.

Of course, we don’t expect anyone to accept us as the ultimate authority on any topic. No single source, no matter how reliable, is infallible. Anyone can make mistakes. Or get duped. Or have a bad day at the fact-checking bureau. However, unlike so many anonymous individuals who create and spread unsigned, unsourced messages across the internet, we show our work on factreader.com. Research materials used in the preparation of any particular page are listed so that readers who wish to verify the validity of our information may check those sources for themselves. Just click the “Sources” button at the bottom of an article. Feeling skeptical? That’s probably a good sign. Keep looking for more information. We will, too. See something we missed? Contact us.

FactReader cannot investigate every dubious claim ever published, so we try to tackle what seems most prominent each day. In other words, we write about whatever the greatest number of readers are asking about or searching for at any given time, without any partisan considerations. If any questionable materials come across your screen that you cannot confirm or debunk yourself, let us know. Be sure to include a link or a screenshot if you can. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we regret that we may not be able to respond to you personally. Know that we are very appreciative of you taking the time to engage with www.factreader.com

Each entry is assigned to one of the members of our editorial staff who undertakes the preliminary research and writes the first draft of the verification. Our research begins with attempting to contact the source of the claim for elaboration and supporting information. We also contact individuals and organizations who would be knowledgeable about the subject at hand, as well as searching out printed information (news articles, scientific and medical journal articles, books, interview transcripts, statistical sources) with bearing on the topic. The final product will pass through the hands of at least one editor. Any piece that is not deemed up to our standards by one or more editors is subject to further revision and review before being released for publication. To stay up-to-date on all FactReader content, subscribe to our newsletter.

Contact us via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or on [email protected] We cannot promise to check every claim suggested but we do promise to read all suggestions. Please say what impact you think the claim would have if it’s left unchecked

We draw on publicly available information, such as statistics or primary research, to asses the validity of claims. For some topics, such as foreign affairs or defence, there is a lack of independent or unclassified sources, so we are unable to verify such claims. We also stay away from ethical dilemmas, where the facts aren’t really in questions.

No. Although the notion of inviting guest writers and experts to research for FactReader on special topics outside our regular writers’ beats is intriguing, we have to be extremely careful to protect the trust we have built with our readers.

Corrections are always welcome; but keep in mind that text appearing inside a box with a coloured background is either an example of collected folklore or a quotation from another source, not our own writing. We reproduce these items exactly as we find them and do not edit them to correct orthographical errors. Use our contact form to alert us to any mistakes or typos you think Snopes, and not a quoted source, has perpetrated.

Of course! Unless your site is throwing shade our way. Then you must link to us at least 17 times per page.

No. Using our material without our permission is copyright infringement, even if your site is non-commercial, and even if you give us credit. Our writers and editors work hard to keep our information accurate and current, and when other people reprint our material, we no longer have any ability to update it when new information becomes available You are welcome to link to any of our articles from your site, but you may not reproduce the content of our pages on your own site, nor may you distribute the text of our articles via email forwards or mailing lists, or by posting them to message boards or blogs. (All of these actions constitute copyright infringement.)

Whenever we include a link that jumps you to a different section of our website (or off our site entirely), we open the linked page in a separate window to maintain continuity and ensure that you don’t lose your place.