Mythbusters: as Hong Kong coronavirus cases mount, so do social media falsehoods – the Post looks at a few doing the rounds
- False claims made on social media include encampments of mainland Chinese in North Point and mask giveaways to ‘pro-Beijing’ residents
- The tents supposedly filled with mainlanders were being used by domestic workers gathering on their day off
As the number of coronavirus cases rise in Hong Kong, so do the rumours, false claims, and faked images on social media.
That has not stemmed the flow of fake news, however, with conspiracy theories ranging from police only handing out free masks to “pro-Beijing” residents, to mainland Chinese supposedly camping on the streets of North Point.
These circumstances – along with fears of an all-out epidemic – had made the spread and consumption of misinformation more likely, experts said.
Masato Kajimoto, a journalism professor at the University of Hong Kong who studies misinformation, said in an era of fake news, truth and accuracy could take second place to eyebrow-raising rumours.
“If you look at the claims and content that go viral quickly, they're often very emotional and match pre-existing beliefs,” he said.
Here are some of the claims made so far and how they have been challenged:
