Coronavirus and fake news: this is what you should know!
The European Commission and national consumer authorities are working together to prevent the spread of fake coronavirus news. Strict action is taken against online shops that make unjustified claims selling products that can purportedly combat or cure the virus.
Increase in fake online shops since coronavirus outbreak
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the fake online shops have been shooting up like mushrooms. Through these fake online shops, mouth masks, caps, masks and disinfectants such as sanitizer hand gels are offered at prices many times the market level. Scammers respond to consumers' fears of running out of stock and the willingness to pay a high price for the products.
Fake news. Don't believe everything you read!
A toothpaste that protects you against the virus or promoting ‘preventive’ consumption of alcohol. Two examples of misleading information that are going ‘viral’ on social media. All kinds of conspiracy theories, photographs and videos are circulating that claim to show the consequences of the corona pandemic. For example, some claim that the virus was developed in a laboratory, the RIVM was lying about the seriousness of the virus and the pandemic is designed for the disintegration of the European Union. Don't believe everything you read!
Online platforms ban fake news
Online platforms such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Amazon are taking action to stop fake news. The search results have been adjusted and fake news will be removed as soon as possible. This will give government information and information from the WHO a prominent place on these platforms. As a result, the large amount of fake news is pushed into the background and facts are more clearly distinguished from opinions. Also, various social media platforms remove all messages that contain misleading, inflammatory or threatening information about the coronavirus.
Measures: getting to grips with the truth
The Commission welcomes the online platforms' initiative to fight fake news and calls on everyone to do their bit. To ensure that each EU country takes the same measures, the European Commission has drawn up a directive in cooperation with national consumer authorities. This guideline will be published this week. The Commission invites national authorities to take swift enforcement measures after publication of the Directive, to prevent that consumers are no longer taken advantage of at this vulnerable time.
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