Hundreds of people have been arrested across Asia for posting purported false coronavirus information, according to an AFP investigation, deepening concerns that growing government efforts to combat “fake news” will target the wrong people and silence dissent.

From teenagers to a TV star, people have been wrongly detained under vaguely worded cybercrime laws or broad state-of-emergency powers ushered in since the outbreak began, rights groups say.

“Governments are using the ‘fake news‘ label to dress up their rights-abusing efforts to censor views and statements that are at odds with whatever strategy they have taken to deal with the COVID-19 crisis,” said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director for Human Rights Watch (HRW).

“It’s insane frankly. In many cases it’s people being dragged out of their homes to the lock-up, put in pre-trial detention, in crowded spaces where they’re more likely to get COVID.”

At least 266 people have been arrested for posting coronavirus-related information in 10 Asian countries, from Thailand to India and Mongolia, according to an AFP tally based on police reports.