Coronavirus Sends Asia’s Social Media Censors Into Overdrive

Security personnel attempt to prevent the photographer from taking pictures at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China, on Feb. 4, 2020. Thomas Peter/Reuters

BANGKOK/SINGAPORE—Deluged by misinformation about the new coronavirus on social media, some Asian governments are fighting back with arrests, fines and fake news laws—something free speech advocates fear will entrench measures that can also silence dissent.

At least 16 people have been arrested over coronavirus posts in Malaysia, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong, while Singapore has used its controversial new “fake news” law, POFMA, to force media outlets and social media users to carry government warnings on their posts and articles saying they contain falsehoods.