Fake news is everywhere
In recent days, a series of social media accounts have posted videos and images depicting tragic scenes in flooded areas, along with many unverified information about the damage. Notably, some videos and images are created or edited by artificial intelligence (AI), making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between real and fake. Many posts also include calls for money transfers, buying disaster prevention products, taking advantage of people's anxiety and fear during natural disasters.
At noon on November 22, the Dak Lak Provincial Police Department said that information about hundreds of casualties in Hoa Thinh Commune (Dak Lak Province) circulating on social networks was incorrect. The police will soon step in to verify and strictly handle those who spread false information, causing public confusion.
According to Mr. Le Chi Hoai - Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Thinh commune, the flood water in the area is gradually receding and the local government is actively supporting food and necessities for the people. "We do not have specific figures on the number of people affected by floods. On the morning of November 22, when the water began to recede, commune officials were contacting each area to make statistics. The information spread online about human losses in the commune is incorrect, said Mr. Hoai.
Previously in Da Nang, on November 2, Xuan Phu Commune Police determined that the video circulating about the old man V.T.C (born in 1952, residing in Phu Sa village, Xuan Phu commune) being flooded for many days without eating or drinking was untrue. In fact, the old lady has received full support from local authorities and benefactors throughout the flood. The information that she "did not eat for a few days" caused misunderstanding, affected the image of the relief force and negatively affected people's psychology.
At the police headquarters, Ms. L.T.H - the person who posted the video admitted that the content was untrue. She said that the old lady in the photo has been supported with food, drinking water, milk, instant noodles and necessities since the flood occurred.
Need to be alert when receiving information on social networks
In the face of the widespread spread of fake news, the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention (Ministry of Public Security) and the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) have both issued warnings, recommending that social media users must be very alert when watching and sharing information.
The authorities recommend that the community strongly condemn the act of spreading false information, taking advantage of AI to forge content that causes public confusion, affecting relief efforts being deployed every hour in flooded areas. At the same time, each person should proactively spread accurate information to contribute to supporting people to overcome difficult times.
According to management agencies, posting and sharing information online is the freedom of every citizen, but along with that is the responsibility for the content it spreads. Users need to be alert when receiving and sharing to minimize the risk of law violations as well as avoid causing negative impacts on the community.
Sanctions for providing false information are clearly stipulated in Article 8 of the Law on Cyber Information Security 2015 and Article 9 of the Law on Cyber Security 2018. Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the perpetrator may be subject to disciplinary action, administrative sanctions or even criminal prosecution; if causing damage, compensation must be paid according to the provisions of law.
