Just mudslinging but it’s a real concern: Rambukwella

Seasoned media- savvy politician Keheliya Rambukwella, who held the post of Ministry of Mass Media until 2015 and was reappointed to the same ministry after the August polls, says the role of social media in shaping public opinion on politics, particularly during elections, is a real concern.

Nevertheless, he said, the public knows platforms have become tools for mudslinging campaigns. In the worst cases, he said, platforms could be liable for defamation.

“Even when I share some stories I picked up on those media platforms with my children, they are sceptical about the accuracy and make fun of its origins. That's how the credibility of those platforms has gone,” Minister Rambukwella said.

As an example, Mr. Rambukwella pointed to a photograph of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa greeting the late film director Lester James Peries, where Mr. Peries’ face was photoshopped with that of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan to launch a mudslinging campaign last August.

Minister Rambukwella is of the view that Singapore's fake news law, the Protection of Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill (POFMA) is “draconian” and has ruled out similar action by this government to regulate social media and news websites.

Instead, he said, his ministry is studying Indian attempts to formulate a participatory mechanism to ensure platforms are not being used for mudslinging and misinformation campaigns.