China: Jailed for spreading fake news about coronavirus on social networks

On Chinese social networks, there are many warning posts and ways to protect yourself against coronavirus.

With the number of coronavirus deaths originating from Wuhan rising to more than 350 and the infection rate surpassing that of the Sars epidemic, rumors of this pandemic quickly spread on social networks as information about closing airport gates, disinfectant spray by plane or the patient fleeing from the hospital … And of course, the more rumors spread in China, the more people will be arrested.

So far more than 250 people in China have been punished by authorities for spreading false rumors about coronavirus on social networks, according to information from Chinese human rights protection organization CHRD based on media reports.

As the public health crisis unfolded, the Chinese government appeared to have become more aggressive in controlling information about the disease, including efforts to quell rumors and false information. .

By the end of January, coronavirus had killed more than 200 people.

In China, spreading false rumors can cause you to be detained from five days to seven years in prison for serious offenses affecting social order.

In other countries such as Germany, France and Russia now have passed laws against fake news on social media while this week, US presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren proposed the picture. criminal penalties for spreading fake news in elections.

Misinformation, rumors, fake news and conspiracy theories have become a major problem for social media sites in recent years. But misinformation can be more dangerous in a health emergency. During the 2014 Ebola epidemic, fake news sites sharing stories about cases in the United States received thousands of likes on Facebook.

Professor Alton Chua from Singapore’s Nanyang University, who studied the negativity of online rumors, said that the Chinese government sees the destructive effects of online rumors and responds with countermeasures. to achieve two goals: Curb the spread of rumors and prevent future rumors.

Often the false information, rumors or conspiracy theories often spread on social networks at a rapid pace, even if those who share them do not fully trust the information. A recent example is a man from Shenyang who shared on WeChat that his hometown has 90,000 people infected with coronavirus and the following day, this man was detained for 10 days, according to the report. of Xinhua News Agency.