China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Most fake postingsMost fake relateweb postingsto health, relate food to health, food Duped by rumors
The majority of fake stories sharedontheChinese internet involve food safety or give health advice, an online information verification team set up by tech giant Tencent said onWednesday.
Fact © Check,2017 Chinaa platformDaily that analyzesAll Rights online Reserved rumors, releasedVol. 37a — list No. of 11127 the top 10 online rumors that duped Chinese netizens since April last year. Eight related to people’s health — especially the safety of Amemberoffood and medicine.
In theAsiaNewsNetworkFebruary, for example, a video that included claims that seaweed containing plastic was being sold in China made the The rounds majorityon the of internet.fake stories sharedThe on video the Chinesewas quicklyinternet proved involve false foodby the safety Centeror give for Food health Safety advice, Riskan online Assessmentinformation in Beijing, verification according teamto theset platform,up by tech yet giantit still Tencent resulted said in a on nearly Wednesday.100 million yuan loss ($14.7 Fact million) Check, to a the platform seaweed industrythat analyzesin Fujian online province. rumors, released “Netizensareeasilya list of the attractedtop 10 by online health rumors informationthat duped onlineChinese and like netizensto forward since it Aprilto friendslast or year. family Eight members,”related to saidWangpeople’s Yang, health an — employee especially responsiblethe safety forof foodthe platformand medicine.at Tencent, the companyIn February, behindWeChat.for example, a video Wang’s that includedteam claims tabulatedthat more seaweed than containing2,000 plastic pieces was of false being informationsold in China from made the 2.2 millionrounds on WeChatthe internet. users this year, The finding video that was around quickly 45 percentproved false relatedby theto health Center andfor 16 Food percent Safety to Risk food Assessmentsafety. in “Many Beijing, netizens according who to forwardedthe platform, suchyet it still fake resulted healthin informationa nearly 100 are million over yuan60 yearsloss old ($14.7 and million)not well-educated,”to the seaweed she industry said. in Fujian province.
Another “Netizens surveyare easily of attracted 70,000 netizensby health by informationthe team echoedonline thoseand like results.to forward it to friends or The family platform members,” listedsaid Wang 10 popularYang, an employeebut false responsible online rumorsfor the platformover theat Tencent,past year,the finding company that behind people WeChat. over 60
Wang’s team tabulated years more thanold 2,000had piecesthe highestof false chance informationof being from tricked2.2 million— as high WeChatas 33.8 users percent.this year, finding
“To prevent older netizens frombeingdupedbyfakeinformation, we started to cooperate with food and medicine administrationsthat around 45 percentthis year, relatedhoping to healthto post and authorized16 percent responsesandverifyto food safety. the information in a timely “Many manner,” netizens Wang who said. forwarded Kou Fei, such 29, fakean employeehealth informationof a Beijing are educationalover 60 and institute, not well-educated,”said her she parents said. often send The or platform forward listed health-related10 popular but information,false online “but rumors sometimes over the pastI year, cannot finding distinguishthat people fake over ones, 60 as yearsI don’told had have the much highest scientificchance of knowledge”.being tricked — Beijing’sas high as 33.8 cybersecuritypercent. authority“To preventsaid it olderhas created netizensa system,from beingwith several duped internetby fake companies, information, to we identify started fake to informationcooperate with online food usingand medicinekey words administrationsto clean rumors this year,”in a timely Wang manner.said.