In order to effectively purify the online environment and create a clear cyberspace, in accordance with the deployment requirements of the special action to crack down on and rectify online rumors by higher authorities, public security organs have lawfully investigated and dealt with online rumors and online violence cases, effectively purifying the online environment.

Recently, police officers from Yucheng Public Security Bureau discovered that netizen Zhang posted on social media that a case occurred in a certain residential area on May 16th, which attracted the attention of netizens. After investigation and verification, the public security organs did not receive any relevant police reports on that day. Zhang's behavior disrupted social order and caused adverse social impact. Zhang was given administrative punishment by the Yucheng Public Security Bureau in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Public Security Administration Punishments for fabricating facts and disrupting public order.

Legal Link - Legal Liability for Fabricating and Spreading Rumors

Civil Liability
If online rumors infringe upon the personal reputation rights of citizens or the goodwill of legal persons, the relevant responsible persons shall bear the responsibility of stopping the infringement, restoring reputation, eliminating the impact, apologizing and compensating for losses.
Administrative Responsibility
According to Article 25 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Public Security Administration Punishments, those who commit any of the following acts shall be detained for not less than five days but not more than ten days and may be fined not more than 500 yuan; For minor offenses, detention for up to five days or a fine of up to five hundred yuan shall be imposed: spreading rumors, falsely reporting dangerous situations, epidemics, police situations, or intentionally disrupting public order by other means; Placing false explosive, toxic, radioactive, corrosive substances or infectious disease pathogens and other dangerous substances to disrupt public order; Threatening to set fire, explode, or release dangerous substances to disrupt public order.
Criminal Responsibility
Article 221 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China also has clear provisions on the criminal responsibility for online rumors: those who fabricate and spread false facts, damage the commercial reputation and commodity reputation of others, cause significant losses to others, or have other serious circumstances shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than two years or detention, and shall also or only be fined;
Article 246: Those who publicly insult others or fabricate facts to defame others by violence or other means, and the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, detention, public surveillance, or deprivation of political rights;
Article 291-1, Paragraph 2: Whoever fabricates false dangerous situations, epidemics, disasters, or police situations and spreads them on information networks or other media, or knowingly spreads such false information on information networks or other media, seriously disrupting social order, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, or public surveillance; Those who cause serious consequences shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years.

The internet is not a 'lawless place'

Maintaining order in cyberspace is everyone's responsibility

Be civilized on the internet and speak rationally

Do not spread rumors, do not spread rumors, and do not believe rumors

Joining Hands to Build a Harmonious and Clear Network Environment