"Social Stir Caused by Rumors"
"Four Netizens Who Spread False Information... Under Investigation According to the Law"
Confirmed to Have Been Fabricated by Netizens Seeking Attention
China's national college entrance exam, the Gaokao, concluded on June 10, but online rumors have spread, prompting the Cybersecurity Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of the Chinese Communist Party to intervene.
On June 13, Chinese media outlet Jimu News reported, "Rumors related to the Gaokao have been circulating online, causing a social stir."
A student is going to take the Gaokao in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, eastern China. Photo to aid understanding of the article. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.
According to the report, recent rumors circulating online in China included claims such as "a man sped on a motorcycle to take the Gaokao," "the parents of a candidate who cheated on the exam resolved the matter with money," and "a student took the Gaokao while intoxicated."
In response, the Cybersecurity Bureau of the Chinese public security authorities launched an investigation in accordance with the law. Four netizens who spread these rumors are currently under investigation in accordance with legal procedures.
The rumor that "someone sped on a motorcycle to take the Gaokao" was confirmed to have originated from footage taken near Songjiang District in Shanghai at the end of April. The video was edited to appear as if the person was speeding to the exam site, when in fact it was filmed to evade traffic enforcement cameras.
The rumor that "the parents of a candidate who cheated on the exam resolved the incident with money" was also found to be fabricated to attract online attention. A user surnamed Zhang uploaded a video asking, "My child was caught cheating in the exam room, what should I do?" Another user surnamed Yang responded, "I resolved it by paying money." The investigation revealed that Yang and Zhang had staged and posted a fake video.
High school students preparing for the Gaokao exam. Photo to aid understanding of the article. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.
The rumor that "a female student took the Gaokao while intoxicated" was also confirmed to be false. Song, who uploaded the video, admitted, "I posted the video without verifying the facts in order to gain views."
Jimu News reported, "Public security authorities will impose legal penalties for the above individuals' online activities and traffic violations in accordance with the law."
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