‘Act sends a clear message to the public’
KULIM: The Anti-Fake News Act 2018 is a proactive move to protect the country and people from the danger of social media abuse and not meant to curb the freedom of speech.
Communications and Multimedia Ministry deputy secretary-general (operation) Datuk Dr Mohd Ali Mohamad Nor said the act empowered the authorities to act against those who used social media to damage the reputation of others.
“There is this belief that it is not a crime to create or disseminate false information on social media as it does not cause direct physical harm to those affected by it.
“This is a wrong perception. Making false allegations against an individual or organisation, or spreading fake news that may harm public safety on social media is a felony, similar to physical offences.
“The act sends a clear message to the public that there is a limit to what sort of information social media users can share and disseminate.
“We need to create an awareness among people on the danger of spreading fake news. The act is not meant to suppress the freedom of speech as claimed by certain quarters,” he said after opening the Menghubung Menyatu@MINDA programme at Dataran Kulim here yesterday.
The three-day programme was opened by Kedah Science, Innovation and Information Communications Technology Committee chairman Datuk Norsabrina Mohd Noor, who represented Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.
Ali said the government was reducing the digital gap in the country by digitising communications. It was important to educate people on the importance of humanising communications by using technology ethically, he added.
“For example, most of us are using social media, such as Facebook, to connect with our friends and relatives. However, some are abusing it to attack others and spread fake news. So, we need to have a law to act against this.”
Norsabrina said the passing of the act was timely as the nation was heading for the 14th General Election when the volume of fake news spread on social media would increase.
Norsabrina, who is the Bandar Baharu incumbent, said it was difficult to contain fake news without a proper law.
“The social media is a potent platform to reach out to the grassroots. But, unfortunately certain quarters are using it to spread lies, such as attacking their political opponents.
“It is dangerous because some people do not verify information and news, but simply spread them on social media.”
On the programme, she praised the ministry for gathering more than 26 government departments and agencies, as well as the private sector. The programme aimed to disseminate information on the government’s digital initiatives to the people.
“I urge Kulim folk and those in neighbouring districts to attend this programme as they can obtain useful information, such as services offered by government agencies and the latest Internet packages from telecommunication providers.”