Authorities crack down on online conspiracy theories
An Athens prosecutor is examining posts on social media networks and news sites claiming that the pandemic is essentially a conspiracy, urging people to refuse to accept fines and sanctions and to disobey restrictions to contain a further spread.
The material was sent to the prosecutor on Tuesday by the police cybercrime unit, on the orders of Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis.
The prosecutor is expected to order a preliminary inquiry. “We will take all legal measures so that public health is not threatened by misinformation or conspiracy theories circulating on the internet,” Chrysochoidis said, as the government aims to nip the spread of these theories in the bud before they take root, as in some other countries, which would hamper the implementation of safety measures.
One blog said the vaccine for the disease is being developed under the direction of Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates to decimate the global population.
