There's no denying that fake news can be troublesome. Stupid people believe everything they read on the Internet or in an e-mail and even smart people to get caught up in fake news.
Instantly, then, there is an outcry for government to DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING, JUST DO SOMETHING! But the balance between freedom and censorship is a sensitive one indeed, and the government of Singapore is taking a huge swing toward the censorship side of the scale, to wit:
Singapore's proposed law against online falsehoods gives government 'full discretion' over definition of falsehoods
Government's proposed bill to combat online falsehoods gives the administration "full discretion" on whether a piece of content is deemed true or false and this level of "overreach" poses significant risks to freedom of expression, cautions an industry group representing major internet and technology companies including Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
The Singapore government's proposed bill to combat online falsehoods gives the ruling administration "full discretion" on whether a piece of content should be deemed true or false and this level of "overreach" will pose "significant risks" to freedom of expression. If eventually passed, the legislation will have serious implications in Singapore as well as the world, warns the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC).
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The country's Law Ministry on Monday said the proposed Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill aimed to "protect society" against online false news created by "malicious actors". These could be used to divide society, spread hate, and weaken democratic institutions, it said, pointing to how online falsehoods had led to, amongst others, ethnic violence in Sri Lanka and religious outcry in Indonesia...
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