Since early October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel, we’ve noticed a wave of footage on social media supposedly showing the war or people's reaction to it — when, in reality, the videos aren't what they claim to be.
To alert readers of these types of misleading posts, we apply a “Miscaptioned” rating — a label for footage that is real and not the product of AI or other digital-editing tools, though being shared with incorrect or misleading descriptions.
But what if a video you’re watching hasn’t been fact-checked by Snopes? As we’ve shared before, it’s a good practice to pause and assess the footage absent its alleged descriptions or captions. Those can take the form of text overlays on the footage or writing attached to the video (Instagram or Reddit thread captions, for instance). Once you’ve watched the video on its own terms, then consider the captions. Do they match your own interpretation of the footage?
A good principle: Try not to let other social media users influence your perception of what you see. And, whenever you’re unsure about something, refer to credible sources like Snopes. Remember, some groups post with the intentional goal of misinforming the populace for financial gain.
Here’s a sampling of videos related to the Israel-Hamas war that circulated recently with incorrect, or misleading, captions:
