Govt to crack down on dissemination of fake news about coronavirus

By THE NATION

 

 

The government has created an Anti Fake News Centre to work with the police in tracking down and arresting individuals who release false information about the new coronavirus outbreak on social media and other online outlets.

 

Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Buddhipongse Punakanta said that the centre will collaborate with the Royal Thai Police’s Technology Crime Suppression Division.

 

“So far we have arrested six persons from various locations -- Kanchanaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakarn, Chonburi [Pattaya] and Chachoengsao provinces,” he said on Wednesday (February 5). “The latest case is from Chachoengsao where a 30-year-old woman allegedly posted on her Facebook page that she had found infected people at a hospital in Muang district.”

 

 

Her post was widely shared by Facebook users and some news outlets even featured it on their websites, without verifying the credibility of the source, added Buddhipongse.

 

The minister explained that releasing and sharing fake news would only cause panic among the public, which will ultimately lead to wrong practices in virus prevention as well as discrimination against people who only have the common flu. “In the long term, this could affect Thailand’s image as incapable of containing the virus and educating the public, which may affect the confidence of foreign investors and tourists in the future,” he added.

 

The minister said releasing fake news is a violation of Section 14 (2) of Computer-related Crime Act BE 2560: Uploading falsified information into a computer system which may affect national security, public safety or may cause public panic.

 

“The maximum punishment is a Bt100,000 fine and/or five years imprisonment, and this will also be applied to persons who share the fake news,” Buddhipongse warned.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381677

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-06

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A troll post using a trolling representation of a politician's name has been removed. 

Thats convenient, China was arresting and shutting down Heath workers in Dec/ early Jan who tried to warn people under similar Laws.

Expected nothing less as the virus spirals 100% out of control and the paper thin veneer of truth gets buried by fools???? 

So how long will we have to wait until Prayut is arrested for saying this is all "100% under control"? 

2 hours ago, englishoak said:

Thats convenient, China was arresting and shutting down Heath workers in Dec/ early Jan who tried to warn people under similar Laws.

 

Thailand playing right out of the China playbook. Learn to Love the Virus Propaganda

 

First the PPP produced coverage on Thailand's elderly woman virus survivor. And now today's taxi driver virus survivor portrayed as sending his shoutouts to Wuhan....  There's a theme emerging here, and not by accident.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/world/asia/coronavirus-china.html?

 

Quote

The Chinese authorities are clamping down on negative news about the outbreak.
 

In the early days of the new coronavirus, the Chinese public’s frustrations over how the Communist government was handling the problem were left largely uncensored online, and news outlets reported rigorously on the outbreak.

 

Those days may now be over. With thousands more people being infected every day, there is a crackdown on the media and on the internet. It signals an effort to control the narrative about a crisis that has become a once-in-a-generation challenge for leaders in Beijing.

...

State-run news media and more commercially minded outlets have lately been told to focus on positive stories about virus relief efforts, according to three people at Chinese news organizations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal directives. And internet platforms have removed several articles that suggest shortcomings in the Chinese government’s response or are otherwise negative about the outbreak.

 

 

 

The clamping down on supposed fake news was actually a result of the WHO organised simulation named "EVENT 201" of which China was a participant. All countries have done the same including Thailand and China for that matter

Same subject but China, a Doctor warned his colleagues about what's happening in December and what happened to him :

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51364382

 

 

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Same subject but China, a Doctor warned his colleagues about what's happening in December and what happened to him :

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51364382

 

 

Quote

 

In his Weibo post he describes how on 10 January he started coughing, the next day he had a fever and two days later he was in hospital. His parents also fell ill and were taken to hospital.

...

Dr Li says he was tested several times for coronavirus, all of them came back negative.

 

On 30 January he posted again: "Today nucleic acid testing came back with a positive result, the dust has settled, finally diagnosed."

 

 

Sick as of Jan. 10, in the hospital as of Jan. 13 or so, and no positive test result until Jan. 30.

 

9 hours ago, rkidlad said:

So how long will we have to wait until Prayut is arrested for saying this is all "100% under control"? 

Are you questioning our PM and his desire to make Thailand great again ????

I am thinking out my but again.   But I am thinking some people are able to fight off this virus and show negative test results. Of course, I wished they would specify what test results they talk about. There are actual DNA test and then there are indicator tests and accuracies  the are different.

It is almost to early to say what is fake news until this virus is understood.   Fake news is also a direct result of valid distrust from government.   Look at China and sars, china suppressed this virus 30 days from first case Dec 1.  Many arrested Jan 1 including 2 doctor.   Look at trump lies over 12,000 proven lies in 3 years.  I think th his virus is going to lead to upheaval of the masses.  

18 hours ago, rkidlad said:

So how long will we have to wait until Prayut is arrested for saying this is all "100% under control"? 

Forever!

Any responsible and thinking government would take similar actions. Spreading fake news is like falsely yelling FIRE in a crowded theater. The catch is can the authorities be accurate and fair in the prosecution of this emergency declaration.  Maybe they can't or won't.  Maybe they just want to stifle the truth.

I believe this restriction can be enforced fairly and accurately.  But flaws can and will occur.  It is my opinion that public forums such as Thaivisa should have a similar enforcement (similar to the just announced government policy). That is - the posting of unsupported (without factual documentation) and unsubstantiated claims of the spread of the Wuhan virus illness in Thailand or elsewhere is simply not allowed.  Spreading rumors about a potential deadly epidemic is beyond irresponsible. 

11 hours ago, Elkski said:

I am thinking out my but again.   But I am thinking some people are able to fight off this virus and show negative test results. Of course, I wished they would specify what test results they talk about. There are actual DNA test and then there are indicator tests and accuracies  the are different.

It is almost to early to say what is fake news until this virus is understood.   Fake news is also a direct result of valid distrust from government.   Look at China and sars, china suppressed this virus 30 days from first case Dec 1.  Many arrested Jan 1 including 2 doctor.   Look at trump lies over 12,000 proven lies in 3 years.  I think th his virus is going to lead to upheaval of the masses.  

TDS raises its ugly head.  Seems your Trump Derangement Syndrome is so engrained in your head that you can drag President Trump into any conservation. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the USA has led the way with correct and timely information on this Wuhan Virus outbreak. The CDC is not subject to the whims of Congress or from the Executive Branch in matters of life and death diseases. 

It's the Chinese model! 

On 2/6/2020 at 12:21 PM, rkidlad said:

So how long will we have to wait until Prayut is arrested for saying this is all "100% under control"? 

Even the doctor that discovered the virus has died.

2 hours ago, PhonThong said:

Even the doctor that discovered the virus has died.

Now see, that has been said and then refuted. So him dying may be fake news.  Even if he did die it is unclear what he died of and if it was coronavirus it is unknown how he contracted it. 

5 hours ago, PhonThong said:

Even the doctor that discovered the virus has died.

Co-incidence? 

Strange the haven't arrested the Minister for health, after his tirade on the dirty Farangs.

2 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Now see, that has been said and then refuted. So him dying may be fake news.  Even if he did die it is unclear what he died of and if it was coronavirus it is unknown how he contracted it. 

They retracted a notice of his death after there was widespread outrage on social media in China. A day later (yesterday I believe) they confirmed that he is indeed now dead.

 

He tested positive for CoronaVirus after testing negative multiple times, when they used a new type of test he came up positive for the virus.

 

End result being they denied him treatment for weeks and now he's dead

 

On 2/6/2020 at 11:38 AM, englishoak said:

Thats convenient, China was arresting and shutting down Heath workers in Dec/ early Jan who tried to warn people under similar Laws.

There's some fake news right there.

Every country is a business.  Big, Big Business.  You pesky, sexpat, backpacker farang who no wear facemask go jail if hurt money!!!!  

 

Same as the defamation laws.  

 

It's good business, since less information is generally better if you are a monopoly.  

 

It's not like selling an iPhone.  You like Thailand, want to live here, you act like there is no pollution, coronavirus, deaths, aids, yaaaba, whatever...

 

carry on you peasants...and wear your masks or DEPORTED!!  

 

Wuhan, wear mask, OK.   Farang, no wear, bye bye.  

8 minutes ago, ukrules said:

They retracted a notice of his death after there was widespread outrage on social media in China. A day later (yesterday I believe) they confirmed that he is indeed now dead.

 

He tested positive for CoronaVirus after testing negative multiple times, when they used a new type of test he came up positive for the virus.

 

End result being they denied him treatment for weeks and now he's dead

 

More fake news.

2 minutes ago, Traubert said:

There's some fake news right there.

I don't think so - it's been confirmed by multiple sources. Here's just one example from a Guardian article confirming his death - there are many others.

 

Quote

Li was one of eight people who were detained for “spreading rumours” about the deadly disease’s outbreak – the fates of the other seven, also believed to be medical professionals, are not known.

 

Death of whistleblower doctor

3 minutes ago, Traubert said:

More fake news.

Citation needed. 

3 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I don't think so - it's been confirmed by multiple sources. Here's just one example from a Guardian article confirming his death - there are many others.

 

 

Death of whistleblower doctor

Detained for as long as it took him to sign a letter. Then back to work with the other seven who neither were 'detained' or signed any letters

 

His death is not in question.

4 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Citation needed. 

It was announced on Weibo that at 9.30pm he had stopped responding to treatment. Shortly after midnight it was announced that he had died.

 

Look it up yourself weibo.com. Fifth article from the top.

11 minutes ago, Traubert said:

More fake news.

You're fake news.

12 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Detained for as long as it took him to sign a letter. Then back to work with the other seven who neither were 'detained' or signed any letters

 

His death is not in question.

His death is being reported by Reuters, Agence France Presse (AFP), BBC, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times and just about every other news outlet you can think of. Are you saying they're all wrong?

 

As the CNN article mentions, his death was reported on official Chinese state media, then the announcement was deleted before finally being re-confirmed.

 

Chinese doctor's death censored

 

The same articles also mention the other doctors being detained.

"Chinese to worry they'll be back at tourism obliterated, but not the double later, says minister"

 

Here's some low hanging fruit for the FAKE NEWS POLICE to go after.

I expect to see prosecution soon.