Coronavirus-related fake news should be prevented: Minister

The Minister of Information and Communications wants those working underneath him to be more proactive to rid the internet of fake news about coronavirus.
Coronavirus-related fake news should be prevented: Minister ảnh 1Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) -The Minister of Information and Communications wants those working underneathhim to be more proactive to rid the internet of fake news about coronavirus.

Nguyen Manh Hung has requested units under his leadership to bework with foreign social media platforms like Facebook and Google toremove clips and false information about novel coronavirus (nCoV).

In recently-issued directive on the implementation of nCoV prevention, Hungasked press agencies and broadcasters to collaborate with the Ministry ofHealth in directing the content of information on the disease.

They were also required to carry out special programmes including onlinediscussions to update the latest news on the disease to local residents.

Dissemination on prevention and control of the epidemic was identified as animportant task, contributing to protect people’s health and lives and minimisethe damage caused, he said.

The minister said false information should be prevented and violators should bestrictly dealt with so that people will not create anxiety for the public.

The connection between hospitals, health facilities relating to thequarantine and treatment of the infection cases should be facilitated.

The minister also directed telecom businesses to waive fees for all calls tothe hotline 19009095 to answer questions about acute respiratory infectionscaused by coronavirus until April 30 this year.

Postal businesses were asked to suspend the delivery of such medical equipmentoverseas like face masks and antiseptic solution and medical gloves as Vietnam isalready facing a shortage.

The minister called on the Vietnamese technology community to exercise theirresponsibility to solve social problems, especially in disease prevention.

Several Facebook users across Vietnam have been penalised for spreading fakenews about coronavirus.

Police in Dak Nong province on February 3 said they have fined two individuals 10million VND (432 USD) for posting false information on nCoV. They are bothliving in Gia Nghia city.

One posted “Gia Nghĩa city reports a case of suspected coronavirus infectionwhich is now being quarantined” on January 31.

Another posted on her Facebook page that a case of coronavirus infection beingquarantined at Dak Nong Hospital.

After being summoned by the police, they admitted that the news posted by themwas false.

On February 2, Bac Ninh province’s Police fined Nguyen Cong Hoang and Vu QuynhMai, two local residents, for falsely announcing an infection case at Bac NinhGeneral Hospital on their Facebook page and sharing the post on communitygroups. The post had been shared more than 600 times before it was removed.

Earlier on February 1, an owner of Facebook account Tran Thi Thu Thuy was givena 12.5 million VND fine for posting fabricated news about a person dying ofcoronavirus in Lang Son province’s Cao Loc district on January 29.

Hundreds of netizens had shared her post, raising fear among local residents.

Police in Hanoi’s Thach That district on February 2 said they have summonedNguyen Quy Trong, 30, who lives in Quoc Oai town for spreading fake news on hisFacebook page./.
VNA

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