We break down:
🔺What the new guidance says
🔺When police may take action
🔺Who is responsible for removing flags
🔺How the law applies
This explainer aims to provide clear, factual context before misunderstandings take hold.
Read the article: factcheckni.org/articles/fla...
🚩 Prebunk / Explainer: PSNI guidance on harmful flags
Public discussions about flags in NI can quickly become confusing and misinformation can spread easily.
Our latest article looks at the PSNI’s new instruction on removing harmful flags and clarifies what it actually means in practice. 👇
The claim that regional inequality has doubled in Northern Ireland is not accurate.
📈Stats show Belfast’s output per person grew faster than average but that’s not a full measure of regional inequality.
Read why here 👇
Will new EU customs fees apply to parcels in Northern Ireland? 📦
We found the answer is more complicated than some claims suggest.
Our latest fact check explains what’s confirmed, what won’t apply, and what’s still unclear.
Read our full analysis ⬇️
AI-generated abuse is accelerating and evidence must shape our response.
Our fact check examines claims raised in the NI Assembly and finds strong evidence behind a troubling trend: deepfake pornography overwhelmingly targets women.
#OnlineSafety #AIpolicy #FactCheck #NorthernIreland
Fact checked: Nearly all pornographic deepfakes depict women; a stark reminder that online harms disproportionately affect women and girls.
Read our full article ⬇️
Independent fact checking is vital to democracy and public trust in NI.
Our work supports informed public debate by checking claims transparently and impartially.
If you value evidence-based discussion,support our work: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/factcheckni
#NorthernIreland #criticalthinking
📈Trade between NI, GB and Ireland has increased in recent years.
👉 While the figures cited in support of the Windsor Framework are broadly accurate, trade volumes were already rising before the framework was agreed in 2023, meaning the data alone does not show its impact on trade.
📊Are Northern Ireland’s breastfeeding rates among the lowest in Europe?
A new @FactCheckNI analysis finds that while international data comparisons are imperfect, current evidence suggests NI lags behind the rest of the UK - and the UK sits near the bottom in Europe.
Read the full breakdown 👇
Do nearly 1 in 20 over-50s in Northern Ireland suffer from PTSD?
New research says 4.74% are living with PTSD right now, and almost 60% say their worst trauma is Troubles-related.
Understanding the facts matters.
Read our full analysis 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/men...
A new year doesn’t need louder opinions, it needs clearer facts.
In 2026, FactCheckNI will keep checking claims, explaining the evidence, and separating fact from spin in Northern Ireland.
Because accuracy still matters.
Explainer: Who migrates to the UK and what are they entitled to?
🌍 Who comes to the UK, and what are they entitled to?
Most UK migrants are here legally - and unauthorised migrants have very limited entitlements. In this article we unpack the facts behind the headlines.
👉 Read the full explainer here: factcheckni.org/articles/exp...
Northern Ireland still has the largest disability employment gap in the UK - but have the numbers shifted recently? 🔍
Read our fact-check to find out.
#DisabilityEmployment #FactCheckNI
🔗 factcheckni.org/articles/emp...
Read our full analysis 🔗 factcheckni.org/articles/the...
Former DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr. recently claimed that proportionally, more loyalists than republicans went to prison during the Troubles.
FactCheckNI reviewed the evidence and found big gaps in the data.
Our verdict? Unsubstantiated.
Behind every statistic on Violence Against Women and Girls is a real person - but if the data’s unclear, how can we fight it?
Our article explores the serious gaps in how NI’s justice system records and understands VAWG.
Read more here 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/exp...
Read our article for the full story 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/jus...
Who’s responsible for Lough Neagh’s phosphorus pollution?
Agriculture (61%) leads, while wastewater & septics tanks adds 30%.
Read our full analysis here 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/lou...
#LoughNeagh #FactCheckNI #NIEnvironment
🎓Does Northern Ireland really have a shortage of local uni places?
NI’s universities face a challenge: demand outstrips supply. But the story is more complicated than it seems - with funding caps, student choices, and migration all in the mix. 📊
Read our full analysis 👇
#HigherEdNI #Education
👥 Northern Ireland is getting older.
There are now more people aged 70+ than children under 10.
What does this mean for our future health, pensions & policies?
Read more ➡️ factcheckni.org/articles/dem...
#northernireland #demographics #factcheckni
Read the full fact check ➡️ factcheckni.org/articles/imm...
#FactCheckNI #Belfast #NorthernIreland #Migration
Does Belfast have the 2nd highest number of asylum seekers in the UK, and do almost a fifth of them live in BT12, as claimed by DUP MLA Edwin Poots?
❌ No.
📊Belfast ranks 20th overall.
👥With 0.6% of the local population (1 in 167 people).
➡️ No data confirms the BT12 claim.
📊 Yet in both decades, the number of UK & Ireland-born residents grew more than those born elsewhere.
📈Overall, NI's population has been steadily increasing for decades.
Read our full explainer here: factcheckni.org/articles/exp...
#NorthernIreland #Census #Migration #Population #Data
