Singapore starts landmark public hearing on fake news

SINGAPORE: Singapore yesterday began a public hearing on how to tackle the threat of fake news, with speakers suggesting measures ranging from blocking websites to balancing the interests of national security and free speech.

The wealthy city state is among the countries looking to introduce legislation to rein in fake news, a trend that has stirred concern that such laws could be used to exert government control over media.

A panel set up to consider possible measures, including legislation, drew 164 written responses from the public, a record for reactions to such a committee on any issue.

“Often times, and understandably so, there are worries about how it may stifle the freedom of speech,” Carol Soon, a specialist in communications and new media at the National University of Singapore, said of legislation.

There should be “fine balancing of the interests of protecting national security and public order and the interests of enabling people to speak up and have meaningful discussion pertaining to governance”, she added.

She was among 79 people asked to speak in parliament over the eight days set for the hearing, which would make it the longest in Singapore’s history.

Many of the examples of fake news cited in a Singapore government paper on deliberate online falsehoods published in January came from abroad.