The deputy commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is warning the public not to impersonate health authorities online. Chen Tsung-yen’s words on Thursday come after reports of fake government accounts appearing on popular messaging platform LINE.
The official LINE account of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is a key channel for the public to access government information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. But there have been several reports of new accounts impersonating the CDC to gain followers. Chen warns that using fake accounts to swindle followers comes with a potential prison sentence of up to seven years and a fine of up to NT$1,000,000 (US$36,000).
Chen says that there is only one official CDC account. He says users should look for the badge beside the account’s name, indicating that it is officially verified.
Chen also responded to online rumors that the government has declined to buy 30 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from a private company. He says that those rumors are false. Chen says spreading fake news about COVID-19 is punishable with up to three years in prison and a fine of up to NT$3,000,000 (US$107,000).
Chen is urging the public to follow three steps to fight fake news. Those are: think critically, find the source, and don’t reshare without checking the truth. You can also check if rumors are true with official fact-checkers, including Taiwan FactCheck Center, LINE Fact Checker, My Go Pen, or Gogolook. You can also access information through the official CDC account, on the Health Ministry website, or by calling the CECC directly on the dedicated phone line 1922.
