Earlier this summer, videos of troops and military equipment moving through downtown Philadelphia spread online, sparking false claims on social media platforms that the U.S. government was preparing to invoke martial law. The posts spread quickly, garnering millions of views. What was really happening? Parade preparations for Flag Day and the U.S. Army's birthday in historic Philadelphia, when the Pennsylvania National Guard shows off military equipment to the public, according to National Guard public affairs officer Maj. Travis Mueller. One way the military community can help stand down the panic the next time you unexpectedly see military troops in your area is to check out local law enforcement and military base social media accounts for posts about upcoming public events, and spread the word. The Philadelphia martial-law scare is just one of many incidents of such images spawning disinformation online. Such conspiracies go back to the 1970s, when so-called "black helicopters" became a symbol of a military takeover of the U.S. But they've grown in frequency since 2020, when myths about voter fraud eroded the public's confidence in U.S. democracy.
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