PETALING JAYA: In August last year, a message circulated on social media saying that the infrared thermometers being widely used to scan people when entering premises were causing brain injuries.<\/p>\n
More recently, in May this year, a two-minute and 48-second audio clip surfaced, containing a claim by an unidentified person who warned that Covid-19 vaccines were poisonous and had led to the deaths of 40 nurses who took their shots.<\/p>\n
These are just two examples from among 550 widely shared fake news items about Covid-19 that the authorities have had to tackle since the start of the pandemic last year, according to an analysis by The Star.<\/p>\n
We looked at the number of items and types of false or misleading information singled out and debunked or clarified on fact-checking portal Sebenarnya.my, as well as on the Health Ministrys social media platforms<\/p>\n
The Stars analysis covered an 18-month period from January last year to June this year.<\/p>\n
Of the 550 items singled out by the authorities, 70% (405) surfaced between January and June last year.<\/p>\n
This year, the number of Covid-19 fake news items tackled by the authorities fell by 82% to 72 from January to June.<\/p>\n
Amid the fall comes a change in the type of misinformation being circulated.<\/p>\n
The bulk of fake news in the first half of last year contained claims about the spread of Covid-19 cases at certain locations or on the enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs) or the various types of movement control order.<\/p>\n
This was during the period when the outbreak first hit the country and the first MCO was imposed from March 18 to June 7, 2020.<\/p>\n
This year, much of the fake news being spread on WhatsApp and social media has zeroed in on Covid-19 vaccines.<\/p>\n
These include some outlandish claims for example, that eating durian shortly before or after getting vaccinated will cause death.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the developer of Sebenarnya.my, said the portal was built as a single reference point for the public to verify news that has a socioeconomic impact and affects security of the country.<\/p>\n
Launched in March 2017, the portal gathers information regarding fake news or information through public tip-offs and collaboration with other ministries.<\/p>\n
From its inception up to May 31, 2021, the Sebenarnya.my portal has received a total of 13, 690 tip-offs.<\/p>\n
Of the total, 4, 993 (36.5%) were on issues related to Covid-19.<\/p>\n
RELATED > True or Not: Fighting the fake news free-for-all<\/p>\n
The MCMC said the portal focuses on news topics or issues that affect public or national interests.<\/p>\n
The authenticity of the news can be verified or have been verified by official channels or government agencies, based on their role, jurisdiction, and subject matter expertise.<\/p>\n
Sebenarnya.my does not cover matters relating to individuals. Its scope is to ensure that government policies impacted by fake news has a quick response by the respective agencies and collated under a single reference platform for the public, it said.<\/p>\n
MCMC added that the public can channel any suspicious or unverified news to be verified through the portals SALURKAN KEPADA KAMI (Channel to Us) section (https:\/\/sebenarnya.my\/salur\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n From the tip-offs, our team will then forward and refer the unverified news to the respective agencies to verify its accuracy, and for them to provide a rebuttal should the news are verified as false news, it said.<\/p>\n The MCMC also said the various ministries had a structured collaboration and were proactive in detecting and monitoring the spread of viral fake news or information involving matters within their scope and functions.<\/p>\n They will issue official statements explaining or refuting any false or misleading news involving their respective agencies and ministries. In turn, the statements are then uploaded onto Sebenarnya.my, it said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more from the original source: <\/p>\n INTERACTIVE: How fake news about Covid-19 has shifted, and what to look out for - The Star Online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PETALING JAYA: In August last year, a message circulated on social media saying that the infrared thermometers being widely used to scan people when entering premises were causing brain injuries. More recently, in May this year, a two-minute and 48-second audio clip surfaced, containing a claim by an unidentified person who warned that Covid-19 vaccines were poisonous and had led to the deaths of 40 nurses who took their shots. Continue reading