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Singapore Seeks Social Media 'Corrections' In Proposed Fake News Law (reuters.com)
A new bill sent to Singapore's parliament on Monday will require social media to carry warnings on posts it deems false and remove comments against "public interest." "The move came two days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said governments should play a more active role in regulating the online platform," reports Reuters. From the report: Singapore, which has been run by the same political party since independence from Britain more than 50 years ago, says it is vulnerable to fake news because of its position as a global financial hub, its mixed ethnic and religious population and widespread internet access. The new bill proposes that the government get online platforms to publish warnings or "corrections
alongside posts carrying false information, without removing them.
This would be the "primary response" to counter falsehoods online, the Law Ministry said. "That way, in a sense, people can read whatever they want and make up their minds. That is our preference," Law Minister K. Shanmugam told reporters on Monday. "This legislation deals with false statements of facts. It doesn't deal with opinions, it doesn't deal with viewpoints. You can have whatever viewpoints however reasonable or unreasonable." Under the proposals, which must be approved by parliament, criminal sanctions will only be imposed if the falsehoods are spread by "malicious actors" who "undermine society," the ministry said, without elaborating. It added that it would cut off an online site's "ability to profit," without shutting it down, if the site had published three falsehoods that were "against the public interest" over the previous six months. It did not say how it would block a site's profit streams.
This would be the "primary response" to counter falsehoods online, the Law Ministry said. "That way, in a sense, people can read whatever they want and make up their minds. That is our preference," Law Minister K. Shanmugam told reporters on Monday. "This legislation deals with false statements of facts. It doesn't deal with opinions, it doesn't deal with viewpoints. You can have whatever viewpoints however reasonable or unreasonable." Under the proposals, which must be approved by parliament, criminal sanctions will only be imposed if the falsehoods are spread by "malicious actors" who "undermine society," the ministry said, without elaborating. It added that it would cut off an online site's "ability to profit," without shutting it down, if the site had published three falsehoods that were "against the public interest" over the previous six months. It did not say how it would block a site's profit streams.
Zuckerberg is actively aiding foreign powers abriding American freedoms. He is a traitor.
This will just make some people trust their government less.
hazardous to the continued existence of the Ministry of Truth.
Please delete and apologize.
This is the same country that has a 15x15 meter area designated for protesting (with a permit, that is).
Obviously, this is on par for the course.
Very reasonable steps. Avoiding one third of the population from suspecting another third for plotting to sacrifice the babies of the other two thirds on a semi-circular cannibalistic altar and fertilize their their crops with the blood of the babies is always a good thing.
Well today would probably crash their system.
So which is more powerful? Trurth or Truth? Because I think Trurth are a bunch of wankers destined for Room 101.
Why is this not more common?
Leaving the original post displayed, along with some information pointing out why it might not be true, sounds like a far better solution than simply censoring things.
US politicians: Let's please be like Singapore in this case rather than like China. Thanks.
Early in Singapore's history there were real racial tensions between Chinese, Indian and Malay peoples. And those could indeed be fanned by fake news.
But today, it is a fully western country, with a better education and a much better general standard of living for the bottom 1/2 than the USA (if you ignore that it is a city-state and has no wilderness).
So this is nonsense. Just censorship. Which has no place in modern Singapore.
(The left was dumb to highlight "fake news". The actual fake news had little effect (it only appealed to people that would vote Republican any way). But the real effect now is that the right (and parts of the left) can use it as an excuse for censorship. As well as a means to deny real news.)
Here's an article from a Singaporean newspaper: Parliament: Law against online falsehoods will not stifle free speech, say ministers.
Fake news is not benign. It can be dangerous. Consider that Pizzagate agitated some guy into taking a rifle into the restaurant that was the supposed site of human trafficking.
Fake news is written by fake reporters. It is not news with mistakes, or even news with a bias. It is not intended to inform. It is intended to cause fear, anger, or confusion -- the kinds of emotions that can lead people to make poor choices at best, or carry out violence at worst. Both the left and the right should strive to debunk it.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
"will require social media to carry warnings on posts it deems false and remove comments against "public interest.""
I for one, absolutely agree!!!
IMHO, there are always some extreme online content (of many different kinds), which better be banned/removed completely/absolutely, for common good of general public/state & there are also always some other content, which could be still OK to provide, but only w/ clear warnings for the general public!!!
IMHO, all countries should/must consider doing the same!!!
"Singapore........says it is vulnerable to fake news because of its......mixed ethnic and religious population...."
Funny how "diversity" always results in a police state.
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
"This legislation deals with false statements of facts" *There are no such things other than tautologies. Thanks for correcting my maths.
* corrections alongside post carrying false information
And yet...
We've managed to get by for centuries without the Ministry of Truth(tm) "verifying" what is and isn't "news". We really don't want to go down the path of "government approved" news.
If for no other reason because, sooner or later, the guys making the decisions about what is "fake news" won't agree with "our side" (no matter which side is "our side")....
And do we really want to give "those people" (being the guys who don't agree with us) the power to control the news?
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
There's levels to the "fake news" epidemic though. I think a big part of it lies within the people that buy into it. There's some level of mental healthiness where you remain skeptical of a story that seems a little far-fetched and seek out other information before flying off the handle and committing violence over it. We, as a society, seemed to have lost that level of mental health in far too many of our citizens. At some point we need to start thinking about better educating people so that they at least have some level of skepticism towards the constantly screaming media, the constantly screaming internet, and the constantly screaming social media sites. When you reach a point where a large portion of society sees something as stupid and far-fetched as pizzagate and instantly believe it? We have ALL failed.
Unfortunately, it's been a long, hard road to get the people this dumbed down and ready to swallow this type of garbage, and it'll be a long, hard road to get back to mental acuity and health. Unfortunately, even longer since it seems we're still headed in the wrong direction.
How about be like NEITHER.
Censorganda is not propership. Now back to our state sponsored movie "My Glorious Leaders Love Me", and remember to wear more hats.
User number 38472, your consumption of dangerous information has been logged. Please report for detainment.
But then, this is already happening in New Zealand. Welcome to your post-western liberal utopia! No refunds, kids.
The entire world is filled with autocratic governments. One of the key things holding them in check, was that the governments of successful, wealthy, happy countries seemed to be not very autocratic at all and strong defenders of free speech, hence by implication that seemed like a good stance to have.
When Western governments start policing speech severely and in detail, and pressuring private companies to do the same, then that opens the floodgates across the world. Notice that the rhetoric is indistinguishable from what we have seen lately.
So who determines truth? You? Fuck off kid. Get a job.