Chinese Police Detain 5 For Online Rumors About Terrorist Attacks

According to the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, five people were arrested for fabricating and spreading online rumors about terrorist attacks.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Chinese police have detained five people for spreading false information online about possible terrorist attacks in the country, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Thursday.

"Fabricating and spreading online rumors, especially those about terrorist attacks, damage public order and social harmony," the ministry's statement reads, as cited by the Xinhua news agency.

All of the five detained expressed regret about their actions, the ministry added, but the police service said it wold not tolerate such rumors as they cause panic and contribute to social instability.

On January 1, 2016, a new law takes effect in China, banning the fabrication of information about terrorist attacks as well as prohibiting the dissemination or storage of such falsehoods. Under the new law, in times of possible terrorist attacks, only China's counter-terrorism agencies can release information related to the ongoing events and the outcome of their investigations.