New York City (CNN) Tweets falsely claiming that New York City was going into lockdown as a result of the coronavirus swirled around Twitter Thursday evening. It has done so despite knowing from past experience that the platform can be used in a situation in which there is widespread fear to spread false information that could cause people to panic. During Hurricane Sandy in 2012 the Twitter user @comfortablysmug posted false information that news outlets, Con Edison, and the MTA, the authority responsible for the New York subway, had to correct. And while Twitter isn't fact-checking, the misinformation about coronavirus isn't restricted to New York. The account falsely stated "CDC advises those in these states to stay home today if older than 55."

Source: CNN March 14, 2020 20:15 UTC