Social Media Under Scrutiny Over Covid-19

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The Department for Fighting Against Cyber Crimes of the Directorate General of Security has reported 29 social media users to the prosecutor's office on the ground that "they shared posts with the aim of causing worry among the public and inciting the society to fear and panic."

İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched a probe and investigation into "publications and broadcasts, false news and posts that aim to deliberately threaten general safety and domestic peace."

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the Department for Fighting Against Cyber Crimes previously announced that it had been probing "unfounded posts" about Covid-19, a new strain of coronavirus.

As part of this probe, legal proceedings have been started against social media users who allegedly "posted messages with the aim of causing worry among the public, inciting the society to fear and panic and targeting the authorities and responsible persons and institutions by using unreal images and voice files that indicate that coronavirus epidemic has been detected in Turkey, the related institutions and officials do not take necessary and adequate precautions and the issue is kept hidden from the public."

The cyber police have notified the prosecutor's office about 29 social media users so that the necessary legal actions could be taken.

Security officials have indicated that citizens should only take the statements of official authorities into consideration and should not pay heed to such unfounded posts shared on social media. (AS/SD)