Facebook & Freedom of Speech in Singapore

Facebook is facing a serious challenge in Singapore, and it may result in a fine if they doesn’t adapt to a new bill.

The “Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation” bill targets, well, online falsehoods and manipulation, but critics have rung alarm bells and claim that the bill would allow the Singaporean government to suffocate freedom of speech. Human Rights Watch has condemned the bill as well, and Facebook has voiced their concerns. While Mark Zuckerberg has said he welcomes regulation, Facebook and many others fear that the government of Singapore has taken the issue to another extreme. If Facebook should fail to comply with the changes, they can be subjected to fines.

The government of Singapore had the first reading of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation bill earlier this month. The reason for the bill would be to tackle the epidemic of misinformation on social media. Critics oppose the bill for reasons regarding freedom of speech, as well as the history of censorship in Singapore.

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5 years ago