Those who spread rumours and spread information obtained from unknown sources will be held legally accountable, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has warned.
In a post on its Facebook page yesterday, the MoI said people should try to get information from official sources only and not pay heed to unverified reports.
Noting that rumours spread fast, especially through social media, the advisory said rumour-mongers “love to spread anything” without verifying the sources and considering the harm it may cause to people.
Those spreading rumours sometimes have a vested interest as well, the MoI said. “Hence, we advise the public to keep away from rumours and rumour-mongers and not share any information without verifying its sources. Always try to get the information from official sources.
“Rumour-mongering and spreading stories from unknown sources will harm others and those involved will be held legally accountable. Let’s join together for a secure community.”
The advisory  noted that sometimes people spread information about incidents that have actually taken place elsewhere but are passed off as occurrences in Qatar, while others spread old messages and posts as new information.
Earlier this month, Qatar’s Met department had issued a similar statement, saying people should not heed rumours and obtain weather-related information from official sources only.