Proposed fake news law needs careful consideration

ANY reforms to deal with the increasing problem of fake news require careful, deliberate and thorough consideration by our Government in consultation with key stakeholders rather than a knee-jerk reaction. Hence, Singapore’s landmark public hearing on fake news measures, “S’pore starts public hearing on fake news” ( The Star, March 15) is a practical and inclusive example to tackle this increasingly vexing issue.

Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan in a recent discourse called “Threat to democracy of social media deception is real and global” made the point that the tweet can at times be mightier than the sword, as in the recent case of Russia allegedly using covert social media messages to influence electoral outcomes in the United States. Also, fake news concentrating on Internet hate speech and harassment can and have led to real violence.

In the US, there is a proposed Honest Ads Act, which extends the rules applying to print, radio and television to social media. Annan’s strong plea that we must be careful not to jeopardise the fundamental right to freedom of expression when seeking to curb the excesses of false news deserves serious consideration. Our lawmakers must strive to implement workable policies that serve our democratic society while harnessing the many new opportunities brought by Internet technology.