Fake news law invoked for 2nd time in 4 days, States Times Review directed to correct Facebook post

SINGAPORE - The person who runs the Facebook page of alternative news site States Times Review was directed on Thursday (Nov 28) under the Republic's fake news law to correct false statements in a post on the page.

This is the second time the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) has been invoked after it was used on Monday in relation to a separate Facebook post by opposition party member Brad Bowyer.

The Pofma Office said on Thursday that it was instructed by Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam to issue a correction direction to Mr Alex Tan Zhi Xiang over a post on the States Times Review Facebook page on Nov 23.

The post was over a People's Action Party (PAP) member and a Nussu-NUS Students United Facebook post.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement that the States Times Review Facebook page was required to carry a correction notice stating that its article contains falsehoods.

On Nov 23, the Facebook page put up a post in relation to a post by the Nussu-NUS Students United Facebook page, which is one of several pages parodying the NUS Students' Union or Nussu.

The Nussu-NUS Students United Facebook page was accused earlier this month of misquoting Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, in a post it made.

The States Times Review Facebook post had cited Nussu-NUS Students United on a PAP candidate's alleged religious affiliations.

States Times Review claimed on Facebook that one person involved in the matter had been arrested and another was being investigated by the police.

MHA said these claims are false and baseless.

No one has been arrested or charged in relation to the spoof student group's post, the ministry said, adding: "The Government did not request that Facebook take down the Nussu-NUS Students United post or disable the page. It was Facebook which removed the page on its own accord."

MHA cited news reports on Saturday that said Facebook removed the page as it violated "authenticity policies, and the fake accounts linked to the page failed Facebook's community and authenticity guidelines".

"The States Times Review article also makes various other scurrilous allegations including on our elections process. These allegations are absurd," the ministry said.

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"Singapore's electoral system enjoys high public trust. Elections are held regularly and contested. The electoral system and its procedures are clearly spelt out in law, and apply to all political participants, regardless of affiliation."

MHA added that during elections, there are equal opportunities for all political participants to observe and monitor the election process.

The ministry said that Mr Tan, who runs States Times Review, is a 32-year-old Singaporean, who is not in Singapore.

He is also the editor of various websites including Temasek Review News and Singapore Herald.

These websites have breached the Info-communications Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) Internet Code of Practice on the grounds of public interest, and have been blocked by IMDA, said the ministry.

"This is not the first time that these websites, as well as States Times Review, have perpetuated outright fabrications, such as misrepresenting Singapore's position in foreign relations with other countries and casting aspersions on the integrity of public institutions," said MHA.

As of 11.30am, the States Times Review Facebook page had not put up the correction notice.

Pofma was used for the first time on Monday, with Mr Bowyer, a Progress Singapore Party being directed to correct false statements he made about investments by GIC, Temasek and other government-linked companies.

A Nov 13 Facebook post he made "contains clearly false statements of fact, and undermines public trust in the Government", the Ministry of Finance said.

In Monday’s case, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat had instructed the Pofma Office to issue a correction direction, which required Mr Bowyer to put up in full a correction note along with his post, that still remained online. Mr Bowyer made the correction on the same day.

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Pofma, which came into force on Oct 2, targets both individuals and technology companies, giving ministers the power to order removal or corrections of online falsehoods, as well as the blocking of accounts or sites that spread untruths.

Those who disregard these orders or intentionally spread falsehoods against the public interest can be criminally sanctioned. Technology firms can be fined up to $1 million, and individuals jailed up to 10 years.

To assure observers concerned that the law could be used unjustly for political ends, government ministers have said that opinions, criticisms, satire or parody will not come under the law, with a falsehood strictly referring to a statement of fact that is either false or misleading.

A person who disagrees with a minister’s decision can have his appeal heard in the High Court as early as nine days after initiating a challenge to the minister, although the minister can decide whether to allow the appeal against his decision to reach the court.

The appeal will cost the defendant $200, with no charge for the first three days of court hearing.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.