Majority of over 50 cases of fake news being probed pertain to Covid
Police are investigating more than 50 cases of fake news as reported by the Digital Economy and Society Ministrys Anti-Fake News Centre since June, the deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, Pol General Krisana Pattanacharoen, said.
“In June, the government started encouraging people to work from home and avoid travelling in order to contain the virus from spreading. It was also a period when more fake news emerged, as people were spending more time on the internet and social media,” he said.
“Of over 50 cases of fake news that the police are pursuing legal actions, more than 30 are related to Covid-19.”
The latest example of these fake news is a claim that the government was hiking import tax on Moderna vaccine to more than 100 per cent. The Customs Department has already clarified that the information was not true.
“Posters of fake news that causes damage to any party, public confusion or panic is punishable with a maximum of five years of imprisonment, or a THB100,000 fine, or both, under the Computer Related Crime Act of 2017,” said Krisana. “If you find any fake news, please contact Royal Thai Police call centre at 191 or 1599.”