Singapore has published far-reaching draft legislation to tackle fake news, leaving human rights groups and technology companies, including Facebook, worried about the broad sway it could grant the government.
Under the draft bill, Singaporean authorities will be able to publish corrections alongside claims about public institutions it deems false. Those who publish false statements with “malicious intent” face criminal sanctions, including fines of up to S$1m (US$740,000) and jail sentences of up to 10 years. Under the bill, which is subject to a parliamentary vote, those accused of publishing falsehoods can appeal to Singapore’s high court or via judicial review.
The draft bill is a step up from existing laws against fake news in other jurisdictions, which tend to focus on taking down problematic content from online platforms.