TFC weekly monitoring report, May 22-28, 2023: Surge in pandemic-related rumors due to the fourth COVID-19 wave in Taiwan

In the past month, there has been a 60% increase in the number of rumors circulating, coinciding with the outbreak of the fourth wave of the pandemic. This indicates a heightened sense of anxiety among the public, resulting in a significant increase in pandemic-related rumors.

Three major trends were observed in the past week:

Surge in rumors due to the fourth wave of the pandemic in Taiwan

Despite the surge in pandemic-related rumors, these rumors are actually all old falsehoods that appeared online before. At the moment, concerns raised by the public include whether the new strains of the coronavirus in the fourth wave are different, whether the symptoms of reinfection are more severe, and which groups are at high risk. 

TFC team has compiled and published six key questions and answers regarding the latest COVID-19 situation through its “Issue Monitoring Room” column.

Experts estimate that the fourth wave of the pandemic will peak by the end of June, but there is no need for excessive alarm. The popular XBB variant strain, similar to the Omicron variant, mainly causes mild symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and fever. There is no evidence suggesting an increased severity of XBB infections or a higher mortality rate compared to the Delta variant.

Rumors creating a sense of tension and panic about a possible war between Taiwan and China

We also observed multiple recent rumors deliberately amplifying the routine recruitment and training activities of reserve soldiers and local civil defense drills in Taiwan, creating an atmosphere of tension with the notion that “Taiwan and the people are preparing for war against China.”

For instance, a photo of reserve soldiers during their training has been circulated on social media, distorted with captions like “Is Taipei ready for war? “Green worms” (referring to supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party) better buy plane tickets quickly.”

Screenshot of the post

Another rumor involves an 80-year-old in Taipei who participated in civil defense training. The one-day training session focused on general national defense and emergency medical knowledge, with lecturers from the Ministry of National Defense, Taipei City Police Department, and the Fire Department. It did not involve any military training with weapons.

Experts explained that civil defense training does not mean “going to the battlefield with guns,” but rather involves organizing civilian manpower for disaster prevention and relief during peacetime and supporting military tasks during wartime. It also aims to promote the concept of “All-Out National Defense” and ensure the public has a correct understanding of warfare.

Stock market dipped due to AI-generated photos depicting an explosion at the Pentagon

Differentiating between real and AI-generated photos is becoming increasingly challenging. Recently, a series of photos of flying-heron-like “Egret Orchid” flowers went viral, leading people to share and spread them. However, these photos were actually AI-generated fakes.

AI image experts examined this series of photos and identified several flaws, including unrealistic plant physiology, separation of flowers and stems, and visual repetitions.

Several flaws, including the separation of flowers and stems, are seen in the viral pictures.

Another AI-generated photo depicting an explosion at the Pentagon briefly caused a dip in the stock market and disrupted normal trading. TFC’s fact-checkers explained how to decipher sensational images circulating on social media in this article.

For instance, in the case of the Pentagon explosion photo, flaws such as broken streetlights, incomplete fences, and inconsistencies between the Pentagon building and the surrounding environment could be spotted in the photo. In the era of AI, the digital literacy of the public is being put to the test.