# Claim 405

The law criminalized spreading information deemed to undermine the pandemic response, with fines and up to five years in prison.

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 1 source.

- Statement: The law criminalized spreading information deemed to undermine the pandemic response, with fines and up to five years in prison.
- Field: effect_on_reporting
- Value: Penalty of up to five years in prison
- About: [incident 2020-hungary-coronavirus-fake-news-law](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2020-hungary-coronavirus-fake-news-law)
- Source: Press freedom threatened as Hungary criminalizes coronavirus 'fake news' and hands Orban sweeping powers. https://ipi.media/alerts/press-freedom-threatened-as-hungary-criminalizes-coronavirus-fake-news-and-hands-orban-sweeping-powers/
- Publisher: International Press Institute
- Method: outlet report
- Checked: 2026-09-22
- Confidence: medium
- Status: current
- Source date: 2020-03-31

## Quotation from the source

> criminalizes the spreading of misinformation deemed to undermine the authorities' fight against the COVID-19 virus with fines and up to five years in prison

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/405. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.