Move to curb online misinformation

Singapore proposes sweeping anti-fake news law, stoking fears among free speech advocates that the law will further tighten an already heavily-regulated media environment.

Singapore: Singapore is proposing an anti-fake news law that will increase powers for dealing with online misinformation, stoking fears amongst free-speech advocates that the law will further tighten an already heavily-regulated media environment.

The Bill, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday, allows the government to issue “take down” orders that require the removal of content posted by social media companies, news organisations or individuals.

The law could also compel websites to run government “correction notices” alongside content it deems false, and penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a S$1mil fine (RM3mil) for the most severe cases of fake news dissemination.

Minister for Law K. Shanmugam said the new legislation was meant to deal with false statements of fact.

“It doesn’t deal with opinions. It doesn’t deal with viewpoints. You can have whatever viewpoints, however reasonable or unreasonable,” he said.

The law comes six months after the government held public hearings on combating fake news, in which experts warned that existing legislation already awarded ample powers to the government and that new laws would not solve the problem.

Free speech supporters have also raised concerns about the Bill, pointing to an already tightly-controlled media environment.

Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson called the Bill a “human rights disaster in the making, with plenty of extra-territorial application to make publishers in Asia and elsewhere very concerned”.

Singapore ranks 151 out of 180 countries for free speech, according to Reporters Without Borders in its 2018 Press Freedom Index. — dpa

It doesn’t deal with opinions. It doesn’t deal with viewpoints. You can have whatever viewpoints, however reasonable or unreasonable.

K. Shanmugam