If the new coronavirus doesn’t get you in Malaysia, fake, racist news about it might

From tales of “infected” mandarin oranges and Xiaomi phones, to reports of deaths when none exist and homespun cures for pneumonia, the internet has been heaving with fake news and disinformation about the new coronavirus.

The virus has already infected almost 10,000 people in 22 countries – the vast majority of them in mainland China – and upended global travel. By the weekend, more than 60 infections had been reported in 22 countries in Asia.

As local governments scramble to stave off what the World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency, quashing rumours daily has become par for the course, along with tighter screening of inbound travellers and the ramping up of public health preparedness.

“To counter this, we will have daily updates and hope the public will go to reliable sources for news instead of believing what goes viral on social media,” he said.

Malaysia and Singapore have both resorted to using the law on those who spread fake news, with Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information warning that the government would “use all tools at its disposal” to both provide accurate information to the public as well as deal with falsehoods that could cause panic and confusion.