Riding on the hot topics of Spring Festival and Spring transportation crunch, fabricating rumors about social issues and people's livelihoods, joint efforts of internet authorities and public security to crack down on misinformation and maintain a clean cyberspace.

In February 2026, coinciding with the Spring Festival, there were many rumors circulating in the areas of public safety, tourism, economy, and people's livelihood. These rumors were being hyped up during the festival, presenting typical characteristics such as distorting policies, fabricating accidents, and staging fake scenes. Various levels of departments, including internet information and public security, strengthened verification and disposal efforts to jointly create a clean, orderly, safe, and peaceful holiday atmosphere. Rumors about people's livelihood security disrupted public sentiment. A video circulating online claiming that "in 2026, the green train during the Spring Festival travel season is severely overcrowded" was fabricated using historical footage pieced together and generated using AI. The rumor that "Express delivery will be suspended during the Spring Festival" is false, as many express delivery companies continue to operate normally during the holiday to meet residents' needs. The claim that "you can receive a $500 maternity subsidy through a mini-program" is not an official subsidy policy but a scam set up by illegal elements to deceive. The rumor that "once your personal account balance is used up, you cannot enjoy medical insurance benefits" is a misinterpretation of the policy on medical insurance coordination and guarantees. Netizens should not delay seeking normal medical reimbursement due to believing in rumors. Fictitious information about the economy and tourism confuses the public. Rumors in the economic and tourism sectors follow hot topics, distort facts, and fabricate information. Claims like "in 2025, the GDP growth rate of Tianjin Binhai New Area is only 0.6%" are not in line with official data, as the rumors distort economic data and deny the actual economic development achievements of the region. Claims about incidents such as "traffic paralysis in the Jinghong Dai Ethnic Park in Yunnan" or "hospital prices are too high in Xishuangbanna, so people go to clinics for overnight IV drips" exaggerate traffic congestion or create false experiences just to ride the holiday traffic wave. Claims like "Bao Tuquan Scenic Area in Jinan, Shandong Province, is free" or "during the Chinese New Year, the Chongqing subway system broke down" are also untrue and mislead the public in travel arrangements. Creating rumors about social security for traffic harvesting. Rumormongers fabricate accidents with casualties using methods like fabricating injuries and misrepresenting facts, such as spreading rumors like "a major accident in Fengcheng, Jiangxi, with 73 fatalities" or "multiple car collisions on a highway in Maoming, Guangdong, resulting in three deaths" or "a self-built house collapsed in Zhongmou County, Zhengzhou, Henan." False information about "children being abducted" or "human traffickers lurking" in various places or that "a 4.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in a sea area in Dalian" are all untrue, as the rumormongers use safety topics to attract attention and cause public concern, disrupting normal social order. Spreading rumors about scientific knowledge misleads understanding. Claims like "in the Year of the Horse in 2026, it's inauspicious to get married in a year without the spring" are superstition without scientific basis. The claim that "the faster the car speed on the highway, the more fuel-efficient" is pseudo-science that can mislead people into dangerous driving. The assertion that "crop seeds can achieve significantly increased production and income through 'quantum empowerment'" uses the concept of "technology" to deceive farmers, but is essentially a form of commercial fraud.