Gov’t Calls on Citizens, Expats to Watch Out for Fake News

With the on-going challenges in the region, the Kuwaiti government appealed to residents – both citizens and expats alike, to be wary of fake news circulating on social media and from unverified sources.

The government advised its constituents to only rely on the State’s official sources to get credible and accurate information particularly regarding the situation in the Middle East.

Gov’t Calls on Citizens, Expats to Watch Out for Fake News

Gov’t Urges Residents to be Wary of Fake News Circulating Online

In a press statement on Wednesday, Government Spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem clarified that reliance on the official sources would help avoid circulation of rumors or fake news, as shared in a report by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

With the ease and accessibility to information these days, it’s easy to find rumors and fake news through social networking sites or other media tools.

In line with this, Al-Mezrem shared, “So, the government urges everyone, without exceptions, to get the accurate information from the official sources, mainly the Kuwait News Agency and the official accounts of the State ministries on social networking sites.”

He also urged Kuwait residents to disregard rumors and fabricated information and avoid spreading them. He reiterated the need for reliance on the official sources, such as the competent government bodies or their spokespersons.

The danger in misinformation is the possibility of triggering mass hysteria or panic among people which could create greater problems than what actually exists.

Aside from exclusively feeding off from information provided by official accounts and sources such as KUNA, as readers, we can also do a simple fact check of the information we find online and verify it with official sources by simply Googling the title or the headline of the news article to see if official sources also have the same content or information provided in the article you’re looking at.

Also, while reading a news piece, be sure to check if it properly cites official sources or links back to other major websites or better yet directly straight to official sources such as ministry websites or the official news agency of the country.

Meanwhile, for those who come across any sketchy or dodgy news item, be sure not to spread any source of misinformation. Instead, try to inform and educate others by sharing factual and helpful information from credible sources to prevent the spread of fake news and misinformation.

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