Misinformation on Japan quake spreading on social media, government warns

False information concerning a powerful earthquake in central Japan on New Year’s Day has been spreading on social media platforms, prompting the government on Wednesday to call for the public to exercise caution.

Some posts have attributed the cause of the magnitude 7.6 quake that struck the Noto Peninsula and its vicinity on the Sea of Japan coast on Monday to the use of an “earthquake weapon,” while describing the seismic event as an “artificial earthquake.”

A woman in her 40s in one of the disaster-hit areas had her address publicly disclosed in a post attributed to her that stated, “My son is trapped and cannot move.” She said, “This is false information and my home’s location is now known. I want the post to be removed.”

Other posts have shared edited videos purporting to depict tsunami caused by the latest quake, when it is in fact footage of the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 that triggered the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant crisis.

False information during disasters can impede rescue operations and endanger lives. After a deadly earthquake in Kumamoto in 2016, a man was arrested for spreading a false rumor that a lion had escaped from a zoo.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the spread of false information was “unacceptable” and the communication ministry has urged people to “carefully judge” whether online posts are true before disseminating them.