Law amendment to help quash rumors

The ninth amendment to the Criminal Law that came into force on Nov 1 says a person fabricating and/or deliberately spreading false information on emergencies such as epidemics, or disaster or police cases through the Internet or other media is punishable by law. And if the person's action has led to serious consequences, he/she could be imprisoned for three to seven years.

This has prompted many to fear that even people who unintentionally violate the law by posting and/or sharing information on social networking services such as Weibo and WeChat could face legal punishment. But such worries are uncalled for.

The law is meant to crack down on people deliberately fabricating or spreading rumors that cause social chaos or disrupt normal life. But according to the law, if a person does not fabricate rumors or does not know the information he/she is sharing online is false, it would not constitute a crime.