Note: The views and opinions expressed in blog/editorial posts are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of Misbar.
The Japanese former prime minister was shot twice during his speech at a political campaign event on July 8, 2022, in the Japanese city of Nara. Abe was reported dead after he was taken to the hospital. Doctors said he died from excessive bleeding as the bullet reached his heart.
The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was arrested at the crime scene. He admitted to shooting Abe. According to a CNN report, Yamagami said he held hatred for a group and thought Abe was part of it. The suspect also admitted he used a homemade gun in the shooting. Meanwhile, the police confiscated many handmade pistol-like items from his place.
Misinformation About Shinzo Abe’s Assassination
Following these events’ development, many social media users have circulated false narratives linked to the assassination, supporting a wave of conspiracy theories sparking online. A verified Twitter account has posted an image of an alleged tweet by Shinzo Abe claiming he said: “I have information that will lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton.” The image features that the alleged tweet was uploaded online on July 7, 2022, a day before Abe’s assassination. After reviewing the account’s username (ShinzoAbe) and the profile picture, it turned out that it is not the Japanese Leader’s official account (AbeShinzo).
Photo description: Shinzo Abe’s official Twitter account.
Other users have linked the former prime minister’s killing to not following WEF orders. A tweet reads: “Japanese PM Shinzo Abe didn't mandate vaccines, sent 1.6 mil doses back for contamination, and gave their citizens IVM. Didn't follow the WEF orders. He was assassinated today.”
Reports have shown that Japan suspended more than 1.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 after the domestic distributor received complaints about contaminants in some vials. However, Japanese officials did not mention any efficacy issues related to the suspension. Japanese media outlets reported that more than 80% of the population was vaccinated. And there is no evidence that Shinzo Abe was assassinated for not following the WEF orders related to the COVID-19 vaccines.
Many supporters of the COVID-19 conspiracy theories have used the claims above to strengthen their visions. They use generated stories stimulating others' fear, empathy, and uncertainty to convince them of the baseless narratives saying that some specific groups are planning to control the world.
As such baseless conspiracies keep spreading, and governments, institutions, political personalities face misinformation, distrust, and violence, especially during critical stages like elections. “The more that people lack confidence and trust in institutions, the more they are willing to buck norms and ignore institutions when it is good for their side,” Adam Enders, a political scientist at the University of Louisville, told NPR. “That's when we see institutions start to fall apart, and norms crumble – and that's an environment that we can't really predict,” he said.
Social Media Platforms Remove the Assassination Videos
As many videos of the assassination scene showing a gunman firing at Shinzo Abe were circulated online, Twitter and Facebook said they would delete any footage of the assassination of the Japanese leader that could break their rules on harmful content. Meta announced it was working on deleting the content that shows the moment of the firing and said it disabled the suspect’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
According to Meta’s statement, the company will not tolerate violent behavior on its platforms. And to keep its network “a safe place to connect,” it is working on removing any violating content related to the assassination scene. The social media giant also said that its team is putting restrictions on sensitive media, including graphic violence. Meanwhile, Twitter has urged its users to flag up any material of the attack they think should be taken as sensitive.
To summarize, countering misinformation became a joint responsibility of global citizens, institutions, governments, and social media platforms. Some of these platforms have already established some crisis misinformation policies. However, misinformation related to many global issues showed the limited efficacy of these policies, as legislation and rules are never enough to change a situation.
The process of combating misinformation should also focus on the influence of national cultures, people's attitudes toward misinformation, and their values and beliefs.
According to Isabella Corradini, the author of “Building a Cybersecurity Culture in Organizations,” people do not easily accept to follow imposed rules. However, encouraging individuals, instead of forcing them to do or not to do something, can help achieve better outcomes.
Misbar’s Sources:
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