Vietnam introduces 'fake news' fines for coronavirus misinformation

HANOI - A new decree took effect in Vietnam on Wednesday introducing fines for the dissemination of 'fake news' or rumors on social media, amid the rapid spread of comment online about the novel coronavirus in the Southeast Asian country.

The first COVID-19 cases were detected in Vietnam this January and the health ministry has reported 267 infections so far with no deaths, numbers well below those seen in some other Asian countries.

Local authorities have already fined hundreds of people for posting what they described as "fake news" about the virus, using the term popularised by US President Donald Trump, based on existing legal provisions. But the new decree, drafted in February, supersedes one from 2013 which does not specifically cover 'fake news', new guidelines say.

A fine of 10-20 million dong (P21,000 to P42,000), equivalent to around 3 to 6 months' basic salary in Vietnam, will be imposed on people who use social media to share false, untruthful, distorted, or slanderous information, according to the decree.

The new rules were not specifically drafted to deal with coronavirus social media comment and extend far beyond that topic, raising concern among human rights groups already heightened by a cybersecurity law that has been in effect since last year.

Penalties can now be imposed on anyone sharing publications that are banned from circulation in Vietnam, state secrets, or maps which fail to show Vietnam's claims in the South China Sea, according to the decree.

"This decree provides yet another potent weapon in the Vietnamese authorities' arsenal of online repression," said Tanya O'Carroll, Director of Tech at Amnesty International.

"It contains a raft of provisions that blatantly violate Vietnam's international human rights obligations".

As part of the crackdown on misinformation on the coronavirus, authorities have launched a public poster campaign bearing the slogan "Fake news, real consequences".

Hundreds of fines have already been handed out, while 3 celebrities were also forced by authorities to offer public apologies.

Last month, a woman in the northern-central province of Ha Tinh was fined for a Facebook post within which she incorrectly said the coronavirus had spread to her local community. The post had just a handful of 'likes' before police took action. 

-reuters-

Germans to be fined up to 500 euros for breaking distancing rules

BERLIN - Germans risk being fined up to 500 euros (P27,000) for standing too close to each other starting Friday as officials crack down on people flouting rules brought in to control coronavirus.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has ordered people not leave their homes unless they have an exceptional reason such as grocery shopping, exercise or medical appointments.

Gatherings of more than 2 people are banned and a distance of at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) must be kept from others at all times.

Local governments have the power to set fines for transgressors, with city officials in Berlin saying their fines would be as high as 500 euros. 

Similar announcements have come from across Germany's 16 states.

Hesse, home to finance hub Frankfurt, and North Rhine-Westphalia both promised penalties of up to 200 euros for people who gather in groups of more than 2.

Bavaria, Germany's largest state, has been the worst affected by the coronavirus so far, with more than 18,000 cases.

There, people who stand less than 1.5 meters apart risk being fined 150 euros. 

Queues of people standing far apart have become a common sight outside German supermarkets and pharmacies, with many sticking down tape to mark where people should stand on the pavement.

However, German police have also reported numerous violations of the rules.

Germany has recorded over 79,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute for disease control.

A total of 1,017 people have died.

Agence France-Presse