Police Launch New Mechanism To Fight Disinformation

"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

"); });
2022-08-16 HKT 00:05
The police said they have introduced a new mechanism that monitors public opinion online using big data in their continuing fight against disinformation.
And to boost the image of the force, the Police Public Relations Branch was upgraded to the Public Relations Wing, which is headed by assistant police commissioner Joe Chan.
"To combat disinformation, we have introduced a mechanism to track public opinion and intelligence around the clock. We understand from what happened in 2019 that fake news or disinformation could be destructive," chief superintendent Karen Tsang from the Public Relations Wing said.
"We feel that the police have the responsibility and the need to find disinformation as quickly as possible and to clarify it. The aim of the mechanism is to understand what's being escalated online or what kind of smearing is going on that needs clarification.
"If we fail to clarify in a timely manner, it may cause misunderstanding among the people, especially young people, about the government or the police, or even generate hatred."
Chan said the problem of disinformation has eased since the introduction of the national security law in 2020.
The assistant commissioner said the police have stepped up the fight against websites and platforms that spread fake news.
He also said relations between the police and the community could be affected by disinformation.
"I think we also notice that relations between the police and the people go up and down. But if we look closely, relations worsen over fake news or disinformation, causing people to hear certain views only and misunderstanding."
The senior officer made it clear the police respect press freedom as well as people's rights.
"On claims that press freedom is being restricted, first, this is not true. If it's restricted, many questions that you just asked would not have been allowed. Right? It shows that the force respects press freedom," Chan said.
He added that people are free to make comments online as long as they abide by the law.
Chan said the Public Relations Wing will take a more proactive approach in future to engage with the media and the community and build partnerships. He also highlighted the need to increase transparency and organise more publicity events.
Eric Trump To Speak At Bitcoin Asia 2025 In Hong Kong
Eric Trump, the second son of US president Donald Trump, is set to speak at the upcoming Bitcoin Asia 2025 conference i... Read more
Hong Kong Digital Banking Survey Reveals User Concerns And Growth Potential
ECHO ASIA, partnering with students from Global Business Studies, CUHK Business School, announced the release of the H... Read more
InvestHK Attracts HK$160 Billion In 2025, With Fintech As Top Sector
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced on 7 July 2025 that it supported over 1,300 overseas and Mainland companies in se... Read more
ZhongAn Online Completes US$500M H Share Placement To Fuel Core Insurance Growth
ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Co., Ltd (Zhong An, HKEX:6060) announced the completion of its H share placement on ... Read more
Beyond KYC: How Technology Is Transforming The Fraud Prevention Game
Digital wallets and cryptocurrencies are two of the most targeted channels for fraud this year, according to SEON’s 2... Read more
2025 Hong Kong Fintech Report: What You Need To Know
Hong Kong is hitting the gas when it comes to fintech innovation, regulation and adoption. From the passage of the Stab... Read more