Infodemic: the Sino-Aussie spy war; Maria Ressa and the Rappler case; fake cures in India
Welcome back to Coda’s Infodemic, and a special welcome if you are joining for the first time. We are tracking how global disinformation is shaping the world that is emerging from the Covid-19 lockdown.
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Let's dive in. Today, from Brazil to the Philippines, here are a few narratives — both real and fake — that have grabbed our attention and deserve yours.
After months of escalating tensions between the two nations, China is upping the ante against the Australian government’s call for an inquiry into Beijing’s official coronavirus narrative. In a counter-espionage offensive that seems more Harriet the Spy than James Bond, the Chinese authorities say they are cracking down on Australian intelligence operations in China. This morning, the Global Times revealed that Chinese operatives have seized a cache of Australian spy gadgetry – including a stash of dollar bills, a pair of pink woolly gloves, a $10 compass, a mask and a subway map of Shanghai. “Did they find a fake mustache too?” asked one Twitter user, after Hong Kong Free Press editor Tom Grundy posted the article.
In India, celebrity yoga guru Baba Ramdev launched an ayurvedic treatment, which he claims cures the coronavirus. Last week, he was ordered to stop advertising the product, named Coronil, under the wonderfully titled Magic Remedies Act. Ramdev was subsequently charged by Jaipur police with making misleading claims about Coronil’s effects. He claims that the treatment was subject to a clinical trial at a hospital in the northern city, but now the hospital is saying that no such testing took place.