FACT CHECK: Did NBC News Cover an FBI Prediction Linking Video Games to ‘Future Sociopaths’?

A photo shared on X allegedly shows an NBC News article reporting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is using player data from games like “Skyrim” and “Fallout” to “predict future sociopaths.”

How do they get users player data? pic.twitter.com/Fr67hNqxV7

— Agorist Nexus (@AgoristN) June 11, 2024

Verdict: False

The image is digitally fabricated. No such article can be found on the NBC News website or social media accounts.

Fact Check:

New FBI data has found that violent crime in the U.S. has dropped significantly at the start of 2024, according to CNN. The murder rate in particular “could be headed for its largest annual decline ever,” the outlet reported.

An X post alleges NBC reported that the FBI is using “player data” to assess the player’s mental state. The post includes a photo of a woman in an “FBI” vest and a screenshot of the game “Skyrim.”

The alleged NBC News headline reads, “Recent leak shows FBI uses player data to predict future sociopaths based on how players treat NPCs in games like fallout and skyrim.”

“How do they get users player data?” the post’s caption reads.

This image has been digitally fabricated, however. There are no results for the alleged article on the NBC News site or the outlet’s social media accounts. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports about the FBI claim from NBC News or any other sources. (RELATED: Viral X Post Claims FBI ‘Got Bullied’ Into Deleting Pride Month Post)

The oldest iteration of the photo appears to have been posted on Reddit in November 2022 and has a label that says “Meme.”

Check Your Fact reached out to a CBS News spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if a comment is received.