What was claimed
A recent video shows a crowded small boat crossing the English Channel.
our verdict
This video is fake. Made with AI.
A video that appears to show a small boat crossing the English Channel, which has been viewed more than 400,000 times on Facebook, is fake.
The footage, which appears to have been taken from a fishing boat, shows a dinghy carrying people passing over cliffs and coastlines, and was shared with the caption: “Recent footage from the English Channel taken a few days ago.”
The clip has received more than 1,700 comments, with many believing it shows a real scene filmed at sea.
At one point, the person who appears to be filming speaks directly to the camera, saying, “Where did they come from? Oh my god.”
Hundreds of migrants have been crossing the Channel in small boats in recent days, but the video is not authentic.
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Both the audio and visuals in this video include SynthID, a digital watermark added to products created or modified with Google’s AI tools.
Although we found no evidence that this footage was reported by reliable media, the same account has also shared other AI videos that claim to show similar scenes, including an overturned dinghy in the English Channel.
Before sharing such clips, first consider whether they come from verifiable and trustworthy sources. Our guide to identifying AI content and our toolkit on how to identify malicious information can help you do this.
