Online news portals have been reminded by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to verify their sources, stick to the facts and base their reports on the truth.

In a statement released, the MCMC said false or inaccurate reporting, or the spread of misinformation, can destabilise the peace and harmony of a country, its economy and national security. As such, the MCMC will not hesitate to take action against any party who falsely or inaccurately reports anything, or spreads misinformation which has not been verified.

This includes anything which appears in the social media, also.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) survey to identify the main issues the world faced in 2014, the rapid spread of misinformation online is number 10 in the Top 10 Trends of 2014 worldwide.

As such, the public must be wary and cautious about everything they get from online sources. The pervasiveness of the Internet and the ease with which individuals can find a voice in the social media does not mean that everything which is said in the social media is true, said the MCMC.

Reposting stories or information from other sources which are unverified may also be in breach of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

The Sarawak Report has been blocked by the MCMC under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, based on complaints and information received from the public.

The MCMC stressed that restricting access to online content is not just a matter of blocking a website. There are ways to still access that content as there is no such thing as an absolute block of anything on the Internet. That is the nature of the Internet and those with negative intent can always get around these blocks.

That is why the public must be cautious about what they read on the Internet and what is spread online.

Think twice before reposting or forwarding any information obtained from the Internet. Just because it is there does not mean that it is true, said MCMC.