CHANGES NEEDED: The government must swiftly clarify misinformation and push for amendments to punish those who spread false news about disasters, the president said
Taipei Times
Date: Mar 18, 2019
By: Su Meng-chuan, Liu Li-jen and Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporters, with staff writer
The government should amend the law to increase penalties for spreading false
The National Communications Commission emblem is pictured at its office in Taipei on Sep. 27, 2017. Photo: Tan Wei-cheng, Taipei Times
information about disasters, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told a meeting of the Medical Professionals Alliance in Taichung yesterday.
The results of the legislative by-elections on Saturday showed that misinformation has become a problem, Tsai said.
During campaigning, the public focused on a farmer’s false claim that the price of pomeloes last year was so low that 2 million catties (1,200 tonnes) were dumped into the Zengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫).
Besides acting swiftly to clarify misinformation, the government needs to push for amendments to implement harsher penalties to curtail false information about disasters, Tsai added. [FULL STORY]
