China Vows to Censor Online Covid Chatter Over Major Holiday
- Regulator to curb content that could lead to ‘social panic’
- China heads into major holiday with Covid death toll rising
Illuminated figures ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit, in Shanghai on Jan. 9.
Photographer: Hector Retamal /AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s censors say they’ll curb online speculation about the coronavirus over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday in an apparent effort to prevent any groundswells of anger forming over the government’s handling of Covid Zero and the rising death toll.
The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement Wednesday it will “increase the rectification of epidemic-related online rumors” over the next month to make sure content isn’t “misleading the public and causing social panic.”