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Censorship and misinformation during the pandemic had a “damaging effect” on access to information, Amnesty International said.
Amnesty International stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, government attacks on freedom of speech and the spread of misinformation around the world had a “disruptive impact” on people’s ability to obtain accurate information to help them deal with health crises.
The report “Silence and Misleading: Freedom of Speech at Risk during COVID-19” released on Tuesday revealed how the use of censorship and punishment during the pandemic has reduced the quality of information people receive.
The report stated that the pandemic provided a “dangerous situation” in which the government used new legislation to shut down independent reporting and condemned critics, even those who tried to censor the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“During the pandemic, governments have launched unprecedented attacks on freedom of speech, severely restricting people’s rights,” said Rajat Khosla, senior director of research, advocacy and policy at Amnesty International.
“Communication channels have become targets, social media has been censored, media institutions have been shut down-this has had a terrible impact on the public’s ability to obtain important information on how to respond to COVID-19.
“During the pandemic, journalists and health professionals were banned and imprisoned. As a result, people cannot access information about COVID-19, including how to protect themselves and their communities. About 5 million people have died from COVID-19, and there is a lack of information. Is a contributing factor,” Khosla said.
In China, at the beginning of the pandemic, health workers and professional and citizen journalists tried Sound the alarm According to the report, as early as December 2019.
But the government has set them as targets for reporting the epidemic. This is a Unknown disease then.
It said that by February 2020, 5,511 criminal investigations had been launched against individuals who posted information “fabricated and deliberately disseminated false and harmful information.”
In one case, citizen journalist Zhang Zhan went to Wuhan to report on the epidemic in February 2020 and disappeared in May. Later, it was reported that she was detained by the police on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Other countries, including Tanzania, Russia, and Nicaragua, have implemented “oppressive laws that use the pandemic as a guise or restrict the right to freedom of speech and suppress critics in the context of the pandemic.”
‘Division and chaos’
The report believes that social media companies have also played a role in spreading misinformation around COVID-19 because these platforms are designed to amplify compelling content and have not taken sufficient due diligence to prevent the spread of false information.
Amnesty International said: “The shock of misinformation-whether through social media companies or through those in power seeking to spread division and chaos for personal gain-poses a serious threat to freedom of speech and the right to health.”
“This makes it increasingly difficult for individuals to obtain fully informed opinions based on the best available scientific facts and make informed choices about their health. Various sources are key, as is the ability to challenge and debate existing information.”
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