Perfect date for fake news legislation

Singapore’s very own fake news laws will be tabled in Parliament on Monday, April 1, 2019.

Coincidence or well-played?

Whether this is a coincidence, destined or man-made, no one knows for sure.

Full details of the legislation are not out yet.

But what has been hinted at is that the government will be given the power to compel online news sources and platforms to show corrections or display warnings about online falsehoods.

And in extreme and urgent cases, have an errant article taken down.

Why this approach of intervention?

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill at a dinner on Friday, March 29, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Channel NewsAsia.

News of PM Lee's speech reported by Today and CNA -- which is the rebranded name of Channel News Asia after two decades -- indicated that the new legislation will be tabled in Parliament on April Fools' Day.

To cover mild to severe fake news

The new legislation, according to PM Lee, will ensure that the audience can “see all sides” to a piece of information, and “make up their own minds about the matter”.

In more aggravated cases, the legislation will prevent the spread of deliberate falsehoods before “irreparable damage is done”, said PM Lee.

How did this fake news law come about?

The government accepted the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods’ recommendations to tackle the scourge of fake news in September 2018, and shortly after, the Bill was crafted.

What did the select committee recommend?

The select committee had recommended the need to ramp up public education initiatives in tandem with legislation.

PM Lee said this approach is “no different” from preventing crime: “We have strict laws against crime, which are strictly enforced, but each of us still needs to take our own precautions, and be the front line of defence working with the police to keep Singapore crime-free.”

For example, schools now are teaching information literacy, and the government is conducting fact-checking on its own website, Factually.gov.sg.

Fake news affects intelligent people too

PM Lee also brought up an example where otherwise intelligent people also become gullible when confronted with fake news.

He cited a recent survey which found that eight in 10 respondents were confident in their ability to identify fake news.

But when put to the test, nine in 10 then wrongly identified at least one fake news headline as being true.

PM Lee said the survey results are “not surprising”.

“Fake news is not always obviously absurd, and even the most intelligent and well-trained of people can fall victim, unless they have specific knowledge about the matter," PM Lee said.

“Because the whole intent of fake news is to deceive you, and to make you believe something that is plausible but, in fact, is false.”