The consequences of falling for fake information during a pandemic

The biggest talk of 2020 has been all about the rising global pandemic known as COVID19. As of late May, there are over 5.5 million cases and almost 350,000 deaths. As more countries restrict travel, non-essential businesses and movement of people to contain the virus, the global shutdown can bring international impacts in tourism, supply chains and commodities.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the pandemic is likely to cause the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

The first known cases were linked to a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. But the virus has since spread to over 188 countries and regions. To stop the spread, many of these countries have initiated stronger measures such as travel bans or nationwide lockdowns.

But as the disease spreads, so does misinformation. As more people begin to panic and realise the severity of the situation, it is easy to come across and believe fake information online. On social media, fake news items include false images manipulated out of context on Twitter to bogus health advice on Facebook.

The plethora of information online has since caused a viral infodemic as unsubstantiated and false information about the disease has been taking over social media and the internet.

Jane Lytvynenko, a senior reporter at Buzzfeed specialising in debunking fake news, said that misinformation and disinformation from the outbreak can be challenging to monitor.

“This is a new virus and the information has been changing hour by hour,” said Ms. Lytvynenko.

Misinformation is not just confined to one country, it can be found all over the world. Anyone can be a target of misinformation too. The impact of misinformation can be detrimental if we do not take steps to become more vigilant when browsing information on social media.

One consequence of misinformation is creating unnecessary panic. In Hong Kong, for example,a misleading message shared on Whatsapp warned users that China may stop producing toilet paper. This led to a toilet paper buying frenzy, with supermarket shelves emptied out by worried shoppers. The Hong Kong government later clarified that manufacturers of toilet paper in China were still producing the rolls and that there was no shortage.

Nicholas Fang, managing director of Singapore-based fact-checking organisation Blackdot Research, warned that the consequences of misinformation can be extreme. Traditional warfare methods, such as firing a missile or planting a bomb won’t begin to compare when mere lies on social media spark widespread irrational behaviour.

“Start a viral rumour, all your people panic. They don’t go to work and the whole economy shuts down,” said Mr. Fang.

Rachel Blundy, senior editor of AFPFactcheck, added that it can be difficult to track the real world consequences of misinformation. But one prominent example is racism and hate speech as the disease spread.

“We've seen certain groups being singled out and stigmatised due to the spread of the virus, namely Chinese people in Australia and refugees in Malaysia. These posts can be very damaging,” she said.

AFPFactcheck reported on a fake post showing a list of foods and locations in Australia, claiming to be contaminated by a new strain of coronavirus from Wuhan, China. They managed to debunk this by checking with local authorities. In this case, the New South Wales health authority told AFP that these foods poses “no risks” and the posts do not appear in the authority’s list of recalls and advisories.

A false post claiming that a new strain of coronavirus from Wuhan, China has contaminated some food products around Australia. Some supermarkets around the country were also listed as places with the suspected contaminated products. (Source: AFPFactCheck)

A false post claiming that Malaysian refugees were resisting COVID19 tests as they were worried about being arrested. (Source: AFPFactCheck)

Another fake post claimed that Malaysia migrants were resisting COVID19 tests over worries of getting arrested. Again, AFPFactCheck reported that this claim is false after checking with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A spokesperson clarified that the refugees and asylum-seekers who attended the event were co-operating with health officials.

Ms. Blundy hopes that more people will take more measures to verify content they come across.

“I think there are promising early signs that people are getting to grips with verifying what they see online. But we have a long way to go,” she said. “This will be more challenging in countries where the education system is still developing. It also relies on governments to invest more in promoting media literacy and how to use social media responsibly.”