THE STRAITS TIMES

Truth and trust in news

The consequences of disinformation and misinformation can be disastrous, capable of provoking public alarm and civilisational wars. Hence it would be folly to do nothing to curb this menace. What steps should be taken to safeguard societies, however, is a matter of debate. Germany and Britain are looking at legal measures. Singapore too is preparing to introduce laws next year. The aim could be to get the likes of Facebook, Google and Twitter to separate the wheat from the chaff. Whether it is to delete or tag extreme content, or to provide verified data to counter falsehoods, all must act speedily.