SINGAPORE — A Singapore parliamentary committee Thursday proposed broad government powers to combat “fake news” online, calling it a threat to national security, but rights groups denounced the measures as a threat to free speech. The committee said it had received evidence pointing to “foreign state-sponsored information campaigns” being carried out against Singapore, also warning that social faultlines in the multi-ethnic society could be exploited to sow discord. “The fundamental problem is the Singapore government has a very biased idea of what is a ‘falsehood’,” said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. ADVERTISEMENTThe powers proposed by the committee could have a “devastating chilling effect on the freedom to inform”, said Daniel Bastard, Reporters Without Borders’ Asia-Pacific head. The committee heard from dozens of individuals and organizations including internet giants Facebook and Google, but free-speech activists who appeared before the committee said they were harassed and misrepresented.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 20, 2018 12:56 UTC