Saudi police arrest people for fake coronavirus news

The spread of the pandemic around the globe have already panicked and threatened the people around the globe. At this moment spreading fake and unconfirmed news among the people is no less than a crime. Unfortunately, it is sad to say that spreading rumors has become our trend.

He shared a rumor on social media

Recently, a person was arrested in Saudi Arabia for spreading rumors. The person was arrested by the Saudi Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution. He was blamed for sharing and producing illegal content about the COVID-19 on social media.

The suspect was arrested after examining digital evidence and information finder. He was later interrogated and will be charged according to the defined punishment for spreading fake news and rumors from an unknown source.

He will be imposed a fine of SR 3 million

The relevant courts said that he could be imprisoned for five years and charged with a fine of SR 3 million according to article 6 of the Saudi Anti-Cyber Crimes Law.

This penalty will also be applicable to everyone who participated in the said crime by agreement, assistance or incitement, and all those who produced, prepared, sent or stored anything that might affect public order through the Internet or a computer,” the source pointed out.

Why is it important to control fake news?

The spread of such fake news can weaken the trust and strength of the people and devalue the precautionary measures taken by the authorities.  The authorities said the public should seek information from an identified and official source about the news on the virus.

The sources also claimed that the penalty will also affect everyone who participated in such crime to spread false information related to the pandemic and also for those who produced, prepared, stored or sent anything through social networking sites that might affect the public order.

Source: Arab News