Taipei's subway operator is pushing back hard against a viral online claim that its redesigned train cars are meant to help Chinese soldiers, calling the posts fake and threatening legal action.

• Social media posts used doctored photos to suggest the removal of seats and poles had a hidden political or military purpose.
• Taipei Metro says it has saved evidence, demanded the posts be deleted, and will go to police if laws were broken.
• The company says the open areas are for wheelchairs, strollers, mobility scooters, and big luggage, and points to similar designs in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, and Japan.
• Riders are not sold: complaints about too few handrails and grab straps have raised real safety concerns, and the operator now promises to add side handrails.

Outlook: The redesign will continue, with extra handrails planned, while the disinformation fight over it looks set to escalate.