flight MU5735 Photo:CFP

China's internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China, has demanded multiple website platforms to take prompt and strict measures on false messages and accounts that start rumors, spread conspiracy theories, or make fun of the crash of China Eastern flight MU5735.

More than 279,000 false messages on the tragedy have been dispelled so far. Internet platforms have taken down about 167,000 nasty rumors, 2,713 accounts and 1,295 topics.

Leading Chinese social media platforms Weibo, Douyin and Kuaishou said they will suspend or terminate clout-chasing accounts that made fun of the tragedy or used it as a publicity stunt for marketing purposes. Some accounts and netizens cooked up unfounded stories of the crash scene, the cause of the accident or passengers' identities. 

All 132 people onboard flight MU5735  ̶ 123 passengers and nine crew members  ̶  have been confirmed dead on Saturday after the airline crashed in mountains in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 21. 

Global Times