What it is
Rumour Watch keeps an eye on public news and social media for claims that mention you, next to words like shutdown, frozen, scam, arrested or fake. When something looks serious it tells you, and it gives you one link with your own official statements and the claims we have checked about you.
What a partner gets
A watch that is yours
You choose the names and phrases to watch. Nothing is shared with another partner.
Alerts ranked by how serious they are
Serious words, repeats, how far a post has spread and how fresh it is decide what you see first. High alerts can be emailed to your named contact.
A verified-answers page
Your official statements, with links to where you said them, next to the claims News Intelligence has checked about you. One link to share when a rumour starts.
A one-hour line
If a rumour is spreading fast, you can report it to our editor and we aim to respond within one hour.
Card, Reel and languages
A checked claim can become a shareable fact-check card and a short Reel, and can be checked in English, Pidgin, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo.
How it works
- You tell us the names and phrases to watch, and who to alert.
- Every few minutes Rumour Watch searches public news and social media for those words next to rumour words.
- Each finding is scored. Serious ones rise to the top and can be checked by our checker.
- You get the alert and a link to your verified-answers page.
What it does not do
- It cannot see private WhatsApp groups. People can forward us a message to check, and you can report one to us.
- It does not remove posts. A partner cannot change a verdict.
- Social media search is limited by what the platforms allow, so it can miss things. It is an early warning, not a guarantee.
- When the evidence is missing, we say so. We do not guess.
Independence
Partners cannot buy or influence a verdict. The checks are made by News Intelligence from the evidence, and mistakes are corrected in the open. A partner's official statements are shown as the partner's own words, with a link to the source.
Status
Rumour Watch is new. We are preparing it with our first partners. If your organisation is often the target of false claims, we would like to hear from you.
Talk to us about Rumour Watch (choose "Partnership or press")
Seen something you're not sure about?Check it before you share it. It takes less than a minute.
Check a claim