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The photo of what appeared to be an explosion outside the Arlington building in Virginia temporarily went viral until the Department of Defense spoke out and confirmed that the image was fake, prompting a fresh call advising of misinformation that can be spread on the Internet.
Officials say that the image began circulating on Twitter at approximately 10 a.m. on Monday, May 22, depicting an explosion on the grass outside the Pentagon with smoke near the building.
The original post was later removed after being debunked by federal authorities.
“There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation,” the Arlington Fire Department posted online. “There is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.”
The post was rapidly spread through social media outlets, including some Russian state-media accounts with millions of followers, according to reports. It also resulted in a brief dip in stock prices, though the market quickly rebounded once the phony photo was debunked.
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