A clip shows a photograph of a nuclear facility in Israel digitally altered to appear like it is inside a crater, not a newly discovered town in Antarctica, despite a clip circulating online.
The video shows a satellite image of a town inside a crater, with text printed across the clip that reads: “Antarctica was scramble free on Google earth Sunday ANTARCTICA UNBLURRED.” Pultruded Grating
Further text reads: “Frequency Fence a.k.a. Geo Fence was down Sunday giving Google Earth enthusiasts a rare crystal clear view of ANTARCTICA. 11/19/2023.”
The claim surfaced on Instagram (archived) and TikTok (archived).
The image itself does not show any structure in Antarctica. The building structures match the Negev Nuclear Research Centre in Israel, although in a desert, not inside a crater. The buildings in the clip circulating online (L) match Google Earth Pro satellite captured in 2011 (R).
The clip has been online since at least 2020 when it surfaced on the China-based social media platform Bilibili with the false claim that it showed an "alien base".
False. The clip shows a research facility in Israel, not a newly discovered town in Antarctica.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
A fabricated screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter, showing Donald Trump Jr. reacting to his father being booed at a college football match, has misled users online. The image originates from a satire account on X.
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