Fact Check: Viral video of disposable paper phone is misleading
A video showing a disposable paper phone has recently gone viral, with users claiming that "disposable paper phones are coming soon... as the world gets more technologically advanced!" The video is in circulation on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
Hyderabad: A video showing a disposable paper phone has recently gone viral, with users claiming that "disposable paper phones are coming soon... as the world gets more technologically advanced!" The video is in circulation on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
We found that the video was part of a prank on a TV show called "The Carbonaro Effect", where a magician performs illusions or tricks on people. The watermark of "truTV" and a title card at the end of the clip confirmed this.
A keyword search for "Carbonaro effect truth disposable phone" led to a YouTube video, dated June 17, 2016, uploaded by truTV. The video's description reads, "Michael demonstrates the latest in mobile phone technology: a pre-paid phone made entirely from paper. Michael Carbonaro is a magician by trade, but a prankster by heart. In the show, Michael performs baffling tricks on unsuspecting people in everyday situations, all caught on hidden cameras. Everyone is left stunned and delighted, even though they have no idea what just hit them."
Further research led to Michael Carbonaro's website, which describes him as the star and executive producer of the hit series, "The Carbonaro Effect" on truTV. According to the website, "Following Carbonaro's frequent late-night appearances, Michael was presented with the opportunity to launch his hit comedic series, 'The Carbonaro Effect', which has run for over 100 episodes on truTV. Michael performs inventive tricks on unsuspecting members of the public who are unaware that he is a magician."
The disposable paper phone skit was staged as part of the show and not an actual product that is available for purchase or in development.
https://www.thoughtco.com/
Additionally, a keyword search for "disposable paper phones" did not yield any relevant news reports of such a technology. While there had been reports of disposable cell phones in the past, they were not as they were described in the viral video, and are not commercially available. The concept of disposable paper phones was explored in the past but it is not a commercially available product yet.
Hence, the claim is false.