Spain prosecutes and sentences its first case under online “fake news” law

(by Christina Maas | Reclaim The Net) – A man in Spain has been fined and given a suspended prison sentence for spreading fake news on Twitter. He posted a video of a man assaulting a woman and falsely claimed that the assault took place in a town in the state of Catalonia and that the attacker was a migrant. The assault actually took place in China.

The video was recorded in China and published by authorities to help catch the perpetrator in June 2019.

The man, identified as JM, is a member of Spain’s Guardia Civil police. He admitted his crimes and was given a suspended prison sentence and a €1620 fine ($1,629.) He is the first person in Spain to be convicted for spreading fake news. Read Full Article >