German Chancellor Angela Merkel stands amid
several young women dressed in white in a photo that's made the rounds
on social media. They're Muslim child brides, a post claims.
"Merkel wünscht den kinderbräuten alles gute," it says in German. "Merkel wishes the child brides all the best."
Except
those aren't child brides. And the photo isn't new. It's from April
2016 when Merkel visited a refugee camp in Turkey. She was greeted by
young women dressed in their best outfits, not wedding dresses. But try
telling that to the thousands of people who shared it online.
That's exactly what Correctiv, First Draft and other groups are attempting to do. These organizations, along with help from tech companies like Google and Facebook, are investigating stories that gain traction in Germany and could impact the country's national election on Sunday. They want to make sure the sort of viral rumors that spread in the US don't happen here.
Read more: For the German election, no fake news is good news - CNET
