Legal action is being taken to combat misinformation on TikTok by the Environment Ministry after recent incidents of rumors spreading on the platform. The source of the misinformation has been identified, and the ministry says it will file a police report this Monday.
One rumor claims that drivers will have their operating license revoked and will incur a NT$3,500 (US$108) fine if scooters are not inspected regularly. Another claims that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) is trying to make money off of the public by charging for disposable cutlery beginning July 1.
Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) emphasizes that such claims are just rumors. He notes that their investigation revealed the rumors were not being spread by a single individual, but rather a group of people registered as an audio-visual company in Neihu.
Peng says the Environment Ministry had taken action to notify the public of the correct information, but has continued to receive public inquiries and accusations, which is why the ministry has resorted to taking legal action.
The video content is deliberately spreading misinformation in order to discredit the government, according to Peng, who likened the attempts to cognitive warfare.