Social media, Facebook, said it was “deeply concerned” about the
Singapore government’s decision to block a blog page on the site, as
part of a controversial law to counter fake news.
The government this week issued an order to Facebook withholding
the (State Stadiums Review) page in Singapore, saying that this blog
has published false news repeatedly and has not complied with any
of the guidelines provided for in the Anti-False Law and Online
Manipulation Act.
Facebook said in an email statement that it was obligated to block
the page under the law.
“We believe that such orders are disproportionate and contradict
the government’s claim that the law against false news and online
fraud is not used as a censorship tool,” the statement said.
The Singapore government has not yet responded to requests for
comment.
Australian politician Alex Tan, who lives in Australia, runs the
States Times Review, which is famous for its anti-institutional
critical articles.
The anti-false news law came into force in October, amid concerns
from rights groups and opposition politicians, who fear it will be
used to silence the opposition.
