Bill McCarthy
@billmccarthy.bsky.social
Senior digital investigation journalist covering online mis- and disinformation for AFP • Formerly with PolitiFact and the Raleigh News & Observer • Duke alum • “The internet folks” - Stephen Colbert
https://factcheck.afp.com/Bill-MCCARTHY
https://factcheck.afp.com/Bill-MCCARTHY
Pinned
Bill McCarthy
@billmccarthy.bsky.social
· May 21
Trump Displays DRC Visual As Proof Of South African 'Genocide'
US President Donald Trump brandished a stack of printed articles at the White House Wednesday that he claimed documented a genocide taking place against white people in South Africa.
www.barrons.com
“Look, here's burial sites all over the place. These are all white farmers that are being buried,” Donald Trump said during today’s White House meeting with South Africa’s president.
The image he was holding up, however, is of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-d...
The image he was holding up, however, is of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-d...
When Renee Good was first named, many social media users initially surfaced a photo of the wrong woman.
Right-wing X accounts have since taken that unrelated person's image and used AI to mock her, undress her, depict her as a dying George Floyd, and more.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Right-wing X accounts have since taken that unrelated person's image and used AI to mock her, undress her, depict her as a dying George Floyd, and more.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
January 9, 2026 at 9:12 PM
When Renee Good was first named, many social media users initially surfaced a photo of the wrong woman.
Right-wing X accounts have since taken that unrelated person's image and used AI to mock her, undress her, depict her as a dying George Floyd, and more.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Right-wing X accounts have since taken that unrelated person's image and used AI to mock her, undress her, depict her as a dying George Floyd, and more.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
NEW with @anujchopra.bsky.social:
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After Minneapolis shooting, AI fabrications of victim and shooter
Hours after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an immigration agent, AI deepfakes of the victim and the shooter flooded online platforms, underscoring the growing prevalence of what experts call "hall...
www.rfi.fr
January 8, 2026 at 10:02 PM
NEW with @anujchopra.bsky.social:
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
One of the top replies under an image on X of Renee Good's body slumped over in her car after an ICE agent shot her is another user asking Grok to put her body in a bikini. Grok then generated the image.
January 8, 2026 at 6:14 PM
One of the top replies under an image on X of Renee Good's body slumped over in her car after an ICE agent shot her is another user asking Grok to put her body in a bikini. Grok then generated the image.
One AI image portrayed a woman mistaken for ICE shooting victim Renee Good as a fountain, with water pouring out a hole in her neck.
Another depicted her lying under the knee of an agent in a scene reminiscent of the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
Another depicted her lying under the knee of an agent in a scene reminiscent of the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After Minneapolis shooting, AI fabrications of victim and shooter
Hours after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an immigration agent, AI deepfakes of the victim and the shooter flooded online platforms, underscoring the growing prevalence of what experts call "hall...
www.rfi.fr
January 8, 2026 at 10:10 PM
One AI image portrayed a woman mistaken for ICE shooting victim Renee Good as a fountain, with water pouring out a hole in her neck.
Another depicted her lying under the knee of an agent in a scene reminiscent of the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
Another depicted her lying under the knee of an agent in a scene reminiscent of the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
Dozens of posts across social media platforms, including primarily X, shared AI-generated images purporting to "unmask" the ICE agent who fatally shot a woman in her car in Minneapolis. www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After Minneapolis shooting, AI fabrications of victim and shooter
Hours after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an immigration agent, AI deepfakes of the victim and the shooter flooded online platforms, underscoring the growing prevalence of what experts call "hall...
www.rfi.fr
January 8, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Dozens of posts across social media platforms, including primarily X, shared AI-generated images purporting to "unmask" the ICE agent who fatally shot a woman in her car in Minneapolis. www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
NEW with @anujchopra.bsky.social:
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After Minneapolis shooting, AI fabrications of victim and shooter
Hours after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an immigration agent, AI deepfakes of the victim and the shooter flooded online platforms, underscoring the growing prevalence of what experts call "hall...
www.rfi.fr
January 8, 2026 at 10:02 PM
NEW with @anujchopra.bsky.social:
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
After the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, AI fakes of the ICE agent, the victim and a woman mistaken as the victim flooded X.
One X user prompted Grok to undress an image of Renee Good's body slumped in her car after she was shot.
www.rfi.fr/en/internati...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
We've analysed this video of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good yesterday in Minneapolis frame-by-frame to highlight the positioning of the gun and phone in the ICE agent's hands.
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
January 8, 2026 at 6:38 PM
We've analysed this video of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good yesterday in Minneapolis frame-by-frame to highlight the positioning of the gun and phone in the ICE agent's hands.
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
One of the top replies under an image on X of Renee Good's body slumped over in her car after an ICE agent shot her is another user asking Grok to put her body in a bikini. Grok then generated the image.
January 8, 2026 at 6:14 PM
One of the top replies under an image on X of Renee Good's body slumped over in her car after an ICE agent shot her is another user asking Grok to put her body in a bikini. Grok then generated the image.
This AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro went so viral that the White House reposted it.
It started with an X user with fewer than 100 followers, who told me he "never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
It started with an X user with fewer than 100 followers, who told me he "never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
January 8, 2026 at 3:37 PM
This AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro went so viral that the White House reposted it.
It started with an X user with fewer than 100 followers, who told me he "never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
It started with an X user with fewer than 100 followers, who told me he "never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
Just seen Grok putting the body of the victim of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis into a bikini. Digital corpse desecration now available to the public.
January 8, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Just seen Grok putting the body of the victim of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis into a bikini. Digital corpse desecration now available to the public.
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
An immigration agent in the US city of Minneapolis shot dead a woman, triggering outrage from local leaders and renewed anger over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Trump claimed the officer acted in self-defense.
u.afp.com/SXqy
u.afp.com/SXqy
January 7, 2026 at 10:15 PM
An immigration agent in the US city of Minneapolis shot dead a woman, triggering outrage from local leaders and renewed anger over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Trump claimed the officer acted in self-defense.
u.afp.com/SXqy
u.afp.com/SXqy
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
The woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday was identified by her mother as Renee Nicole Good, 37.
‘She was an amazing human being:’ Mother identifies woman shot, killed by ICE agent
Renee Nicole Good, 37, lived in the Twin Cities with her partner.
www.startribune.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:08 PM
The woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday was identified by her mother as Renee Nicole Good, 37.
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
NEW:
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
January 7, 2026 at 6:00 PM
NEW:
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
Did you see this image depicting Nicolas Maduro in US custody?
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
January 7, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Did you see this image depicting Nicolas Maduro in US custody?
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
Did you see this image depicting Nicolas Maduro in US custody?
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
January 7, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Did you see this image depicting Nicolas Maduro in US custody?
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I tracked down the X user behind it, who has fewer than 100 followers. He created the fake with Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro within 20 minutes of Donald Trump announcing the operation.
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
NEW:
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
January 7, 2026 at 6:00 PM
NEW:
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
I spoke to the X user who created the super viral AI-generated image of Nicolas Maduro in US custody.
He told me he used Google Gemini's Nano Banana Pro to create the fake.
"I never expected this to become the most shared picture worldwide."
www.barrons.com/news/never-e...
US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a video of a massive crowd with text reading: "Venezuela celebrates Democrats cry."
The problem: the footage actually shows a UCLA "undie run," an unofficial campus tradition, in December.
factual.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
The problem: the footage actually shows a UCLA "undie run," an unofficial campus tradition, in December.
factual.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
January 6, 2026 at 7:47 PM
US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a video of a massive crowd with text reading: "Venezuela celebrates Democrats cry."
The problem: the footage actually shows a UCLA "undie run," an unofficial campus tradition, in December.
factual.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
The problem: the footage actually shows a UCLA "undie run," an unofficial campus tradition, in December.
factual.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
January 5, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Elon Musk reposted an AI-generated video depicting triumphant celebrations in the streets of Venezuela after US forces' shock capture of Nicolás Maduro. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
January 5, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Elon Musk reposted an AI-generated video depicting triumphant celebrations in the streets of Venezuela after US forces' shock capture of Nicolás Maduro. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Elon Musk's AI tool Grok is facing growing international backlash for generating sexualized deepfakes of women and minors, with the European Union joining the condemnation and Britain warning of an investigation. www.barrons.com/news/remove-...
'Remove Her Clothes': Global Backlash Over Grok Sexualized Images
Elon Musk's AI tool Grok faced growing international backlash Monday for generating sexualized deepfakes of women and minors, with the European Union joining the condemnation and Britain warning of an...
www.barrons.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Elon Musk's AI tool Grok is facing growing international backlash for generating sexualized deepfakes of women and minors, with the European Union joining the condemnation and Britain warning of an investigation. www.barrons.com/news/remove-...
After US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in an overnight raid, social media flooded with images falsely linked to the operation or the reaction of the country's citizens, in addition to AI-generated photos depicting the deposed president. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
January 5, 2026 at 10:04 PM
After US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in an overnight raid, social media flooded with images falsely linked to the operation or the reaction of the country's citizens, in addition to AI-generated photos depicting the deposed president. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
Woman felt 'dehumanised' after Musk's Grok AI used to digitally remove her clothes www.bbc.com/news/article...
Woman felt 'dehumanised' after Musk's Grok AI used to digitally remove her clothes
The BBC has seen several examples of it undressing women and putting them in sexual situations without their consent.
www.bbc.com
January 5, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Woman felt 'dehumanised' after Musk's Grok AI used to digitally remove her clothes www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
NEW with @manonjacob.bsky.social:
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
December 31, 2025 at 7:32 PM
NEW with @manonjacob.bsky.social:
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
NEW with @manonjacob.bsky.social:
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
December 31, 2025 at 7:32 PM
NEW with @manonjacob.bsky.social:
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
Donald Trump blamed US windmills for killing bald eagles in a Truth Social post last night.
But the photo was years old, taken in Israel, and of a bird that experts said was definitely not an eagle and more likely a type of falcon.
www.barrons.com/news/trump-g...
Reposted by Bill McCarthy
A widespread video claims to show New Yorkers hurling snowballs at immigration agents, but it is misrepresented. The footage was captured in Moscow in 2021 as Russians took to the streets following Alexei Navalny's imprisonment. u.afp.com/S86Q
December 30, 2025 at 4:33 PM
A widespread video claims to show New Yorkers hurling snowballs at immigration agents, but it is misrepresented. The footage was captured in Moscow in 2021 as Russians took to the streets following Alexei Navalny's imprisonment. u.afp.com/S86Q