It's remarkable how a simple screenshot can become such a big topic of conversation. This particular sharepic claims: “Men have a penis and women have a vagina. Contains false information.” A small note underneath attracts attention: “Independent experts agree that women can have a penis and men can have a vagina. Information about gender”

Although screenshots can be created in seconds, they represent a challenging task for fact-checkers. Their simplicity makes them vulnerable to manipulation and misinterpretation. But what does this particular screenshot tell us about the role of Facebook and its fact-checking process?
The detective work begins: Searching for clues on the Internet about “Men have a penis and women have a vagina. Contains false information…”
The alleged flagging by Facebook called for an investigation. With an official label, there should always be an accompanying fact-checking article. But our research showed that no such article exists. Did Facebook really flag this post or is it just another case of disinformation?
The Questionable Features of the Screenshot: A Detailed Examination
It is always important to remain critical, especially when it comes to the credibility of content online. The following points underline why the gender identity screenshot is a fake!
This disinformation is intended to put fact checkers in a bad light, even though there is no indication of a fact checker in the screenshot! If you want to recognize anything at all, then at most an “information tip” from Facebook, but not from fact checkers!
A missing social echo. The missing interaction references
The screenshot does not a typical Facebook status post. For authentic posts, reactions such as like , comment or share visible directly below. This BAR is missing from the screenshot:

The way of marking
Facebook has a special system for flagging false reports. This includes covering or pixelating the post and adding a link to a fact-checking article . This is missing from the screenshot. Here is an example when Facebook has a topic checked by its experts and fact checkers:

If it were “fake news,” this notice would appear:

The information context and design
The content presented as “information” does not correspond to the typical Facebook format. The platform typically offers such information overlays on general health topics or danger topics, such as COVID-19, vaccinations or suicide prevention.
If this were official information from Facebook, the “Information about gender” link would be displayed as a prominent button – in a light blue background with dark blue font. This is in contrast to the plain blue link text shown in the screenshot. Examples of such information texts and information in the original from Facebook:


Here is a comparison of the information from the screenshot above:

The practical test
A simple but effective approach: both we at Mimikama and skeptical Internet users posted the sentence “Men have a penis and women have a vagina” on Facebook. In no case did Facebook flag the post as a hoax or respond to it in any way.
Post: February 2023

Post: December 2022

Lack of recurring evidence
Aside from this one screenshot that is widely shared, there are no other screenshots, no other evidence, or similar cases that indicate this specific "expert opinion" or advice on the subject.
Disinformation in the digital age
The reason for the outcry lies in the emotion that this screenshot triggers. It raises questions about the credibility of fact-checkers and social media while also playing on current social debates. A simple image that sows so much doubt and outrage.
Conclusion for the sharepic with: “Men have a penis and women have a vagina. Contains false information…”
A simple screenshot shows how powerful disinformation can be. But it also shows how important it is to always remain skeptical. The next time we come across an image like this, we should stop for a moment and think about what it really means and what intentions might lie behind it. It's not just about a screenshot - it's about the future of truth in our connected world.
Also read:
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

