Episode Details

Chinese authorities have shut down several social media accounts for spreading false information about the military, including fabricated stories about Chinese warships sinking foreign vessels and prolonged electronic warfare in the South China Sea, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.  

中央网信办发布通报，近期军地职能部门依法依规处置了一批网上违法违规信息及自媒体账号，包括散布“我舰艇击沉外军军舰”谣言、编造“南海电子战”等虚假内容。

In a news release on Monday, the administration disclosed a series of cases in which some personal media accounts "speculated and fabricated false information, and engaged in speculative hype".

在28日发布的消息中，中央网信办遴选通报了一些自媒体账号“臆测编造虚假信息，捕风捉影关联炒作”的一系列案例。

Personal media accounts refer to non-institutional content publishers on social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo or video-sharing platform Douyin. They publish news or information even though they are not operated or approved by the government or any other authoritative entities.

自媒体账号指微信、微博或视频共享平台抖音等社交媒体平台上的非机构内容发布者。它们发布的新闻或信息，均未由政府或任何其他权威实体运营或批准。

According to the news release, the primary violations made by the owners of these self-media accounts include concocting military rumors, distorting military history, tarnishing the image of the armed forces and misinterpreting military policies.

根据通报，这些自媒体账号所有者的主要违规行为包括捏造军事谣言、杜撰军事史实、抹黑军队形象和曲解军事政策等。

It said that these accounts "seriously misled public perception and affected the image of the armed forces and military personnel".

中央网信办称，这些自媒体账号“严重误导公众认知，影响军队军人形象”。

The release noted that some social media accounts exploited people's patriotic sentiments by posting fake stories. For instance, two WeChat public accounts spread rumors about Chinese naval vessels sinking four foreign warships, it said.

通报指出，一些自媒体账号消费群众爱国情怀、发布虚假故事。例如，两个微信公众号散布“我舰艇击沉四艘外军军舰”等谣言。

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