"Recent viral TikTok videos claimed that Walmart would close its doors on Nov. 1 in response to the lapse in November SNAP funding. The videos have since been taken down, but other videos that gained traction showed Walmart parking lots that appear deserted, with claims that the stores were closed. Walmart confirmed with Snopes, a popular fact-checking website, that it never announced plans to close stores on Nov. 1 and stated that its stores would be open that day."
"The right-wing media outlet cited videos of SNAP users confronting grocery store staffers and threatening to steal food, a mother demanding her followers send money for groceries, and a Walmart employee sharing he went home because of people bum-rushing [and] stealing at a store due to changes in SNAP benefits. However, it appears some or all of the videos the outlet cited were generated by artificial intelligence."
SNAP participants faced uncertainty over EBT funding, prompting false and misleading social media claims about grocery store theft and Walmart closures. Viral TikTok clips suggested Walmart would close on Nov. 1 and showed allegedly deserted parking lots, but Walmart confirmed to Snopes that no closures were planned and stores would remain open. A Fox News article amplified videos of alleged thefts and confrontations, but several cited clips appear to have been generated by artificial intelligence. Fox News later altered and corrected the article. The grocery industry reported no cause for concern regarding mass theft linked to the SNAP lapse.
Read at www.grocerydive.com
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