China's microblogging platform Sina Weibo is still the largest petri-dish of online rumors, but rumors on WeChat, the instant messaging service, are more difficult to dispel, said a report on China's new media on Wednesday.
According to the report, published by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, some 59 percent of fake news items in 2014 originated on Sina Weibo, while rumors on WeChat, although only accounting for 7 percent, were more difficult to dispel because it is a closed system.
The report said food safety, personal security and health were the top topics for fake stories.
The report found that stories were shared more quickly between Monday and Wednesday, with Tuesday being the peak time.
Compared with Weibo, where different stories often contradict each other, people on WeChat are reticent to point out rumors posted by their friends and families, it said.
Online rumors are still hard to control. Earlier this month, fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken filed lawsuits against three WeChat accounts for saying its chicken drumsticks came from eight-legged poultry.
