Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Viral posts about a Facebook ‘witch checker’ are just a bunch of hocus pocus
Who doesn’t love a good Facebook challenge? And during the Halloween season, what is better than having an algorithm determine who among us are secretly witches?
That’s what many users claim is currently going down on the social media platform.
Facebook posts, like this one, allege that after typing "#HocusPocus" in a comment, one of two things will happen: The words will stay the same, revealing you are a muggle (sad) or Facebook will transfigure it into a green bar with the word "witch." Some posts even show comments that have purple bars that say "head witch" or the fancy "grand high witch." Talk about a major coven promotion.
These posts were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
If you tried it out and nothing happened, don’t worry, because it’s not real. You may still yet receive your Hogwarts letter.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
You’ll notice the majority of the comments on these posts still say #HocusPocus, because users are genuinely typing it in to see if it changes. The few that appear as "witch" or other titles were copied and pasted into the comments.
Featured Fact-check
These kinds of posts are initially created to amass comments and shares and therefore increase the Facebook page’s engagement.
Fact-checking website TruthorFiction.com found the "witch checker" claim resembled another challenge – #911snitch. Those posts alleged that typing #911snitch revealed whether commenters were "snitches" if the words stayed the same or not by whether a green bar with a blunt-style cigar displaying "not a snitch" appeared. The website found, like #HocusPocus, typing #911snitch, "did not at any point produce a green bar to prove that you or your friends are not snitches…"
A Facebook spokesperson also confirmed to PolitiFact that there is no "witch checker" feature.
The internet has, once again, put a spell on us. We rate this claim Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post, Oct. 7, 2019
Local 12, No, Facebook doesn't have a "Witch Checker", Oct. 8, 2019
TruthorFiction, Facebook #HocusPocus ‘Witch Checker’, Oct. 7, 2019
TruthorFiction, #911 Facebook Green Line or Snitch Meme, March 4, 2019
Email interview, Jimmy Raimo Facebook spokesperson, Oct. 11, 2019
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Samantha Putterman
Viral posts about a Facebook ‘witch checker’ are just a bunch of hocus pocus
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.