The Interior Ministry informed that its digital forensics sector questioned 13 people for spreading a fake report on Wednesday that the water in Skopje is polluted.

The widespread rumor, that was shared on social media, caused significant concern in the city and sparked runs on bottled water. It came after the incident in Gostivar where local authorities polluted the water supply, and after a campaign from the opposition SDSM party to allege that the water in other cities across Macedonia is polluted as well.

An official interview was conducted with the individuals, during which all of them stated that they had published or shared the information after having previously seen a similar post on social networks or heard from another person. However, none of them indicated a specific, confirmed or credible source that would support the claims about water pollution. The digital forensics unit will continue to collect and analyze data in order to confirm all circumstances related to the event, as well as the manner in which the information appeared and further spread in the internet space, the Ministry of Interior stated.

The Interior Ministry also points out that the spread of unverified and inaccurate information, especially when it comes to issues related to the health and safety of citizens, can cause unjustified panic and anxiety in the public.

We appeal to citizens not to share information whose accuracy has not been verified and to obtain information exclusively from official and relevant sources. Responsible use of social networks and verification of information before publishing or sharing it are essential for preventing misinformation and protecting the public interest, the Ministry said.