Social media users recently pointed to a video that includes a blurred presidential seal, retweeted by Vice President Kamala Harris, as proof that Joe Biden isn't actually president.
"Was the presidential seal blurred out today because he's not the real president?" a Twitter user wrote while another provided an explanation, "The Presidential Seal is blurred out because Trump owns the copyright."
Those claims are false, according to The Associated Press. They are among the "flurry of conspiracy theories" showing up on social media due to the blurred seal.
The clip shows Biden signing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, while seated at a desk displaying the presidential seal which appears to be intentionally blurred.
The video Harris shared on her personal account was originally posted by the Democratic National Committee. The group blurred the emblem because of a federal statute that limits how the presidential seal can be used, a DNC spokesperson told the AP.
The DNC has blurred the seal in other clips posted online, including a video shared by Biden, and it's usually obscured in political ads.
"It's generally standard for political parties to try and stay on the right side of the law," Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, told the AP.
The White House doesn't blur the seal when it appears in photos and videos sent for official government business.
...
The Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has noted with concern the circulation of unfounded and misleading claims suggesting that its petroleum products are exported to Lom...