Singapore orders Facebook to block access to States Times Review’s page under ‘fake news law’
- Communications and Information Ministry says website repeatedly conveyed falsehoods, breaching Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act
- Ministry spokesperson said this was the first time this particular disabling provision of Pofma had been used
Singapore’s Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran has issued instructions for Facebook to be ordered to disable access for users to the States Times Review’s (STR) Facebook page.
STR’s Facebook page has repeatedly conveyed falsehoods and has not complied with any of the Pofma directions that it has been served with, the statement said.
On February 15, STR’s Facebook page was served with a declaration stating that it was a declared online location (DOL) under Pofma. Since then, it had failed to carry the required notice stating that it was a DOL.
MCI said that the DOL is intended “to warn visitors of the previous falsehoods that [the] page communicated”.
The declaration also makes an offence for its owner Alex Tan to receive any benefits from operating the Facebook page and prohibit “the provision of financial support to it for the purposes of supporting, helping or promoting the communication of falsehoods”.