Linked: Singapore’s Fake News Law Is Also An Internet Surveillance Law
The key graph is here:
“Removal demands are supposed to be the last resort. The first response to alleged fake news is the issuance of a correction notice — again, as demanded by the Singaporean government. This is far less draconian than demanding removal of content, but this response method has its own set of problems. The law requires more than the appending of a correction to alleged fake news. It also requires tech companies to ensure everyone who viewed the alleged fake news is informed of the correction. This will result in the creation and maintenance of web tracking infrastructure solely for the benefit of the government.”
It sounds horrific, doesn’t it? Will Western governments be far behind though? There are already tons of calls to fight “fake news” but the definition of what is fake, and who would get to decide that, is always a question. If the government gets to decide, and order take downs, it effectively is stomping all over free speech, and creating an internet where you will need the government’s permission (and not just one, but every government potentially), before you publish anything online.
Is that what we really want?
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