Morocco Battles Surge in COVID-19 Misinformation, Threatening Public Safety

These two scourges constitute a real threat to the security and stability of Morocco, notes Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. Several videos have gone viral on social media before and after the confirmation of the first case of contamination by the new coronavirus in the kingdom. The authors of these videos have spread rumors and fear in the kingdom. The list of passengers on the flight taken by the first Moroccan case of COVID-19 has also been circulated on social media.

Since the authors of fake news are punished by law, the public prosecutor’s office near the court of first instance of Casablanca has ordered the opening of a judicial investigation, after the dissemination of this list. Since the disclosure of professional secrecy, defamation and violation of personal data constitute a criminal offense.

Faced with the threat posed by rumors and fake news, the Ministry of the Interior continues to call on citizens to be vigilant. It also promises to identify the people involved in the publication of these lies and to apply the rigor of the law to them.