Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Debunking falsehoods safeguards freedom of speech, say MPs

SINGAPORE — Rather than restricting freedom of speech, combating falsehoods allows for more constructive social and political discourse, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Wednesday (Jan 10).

"Keeping falsehoods out of our discourse enables freedom of speech to be meaningfully exercised," says Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam. REUTERS file photo

"Keeping falsehoods out of our discourse enables freedom of speech to be meaningfully exercised," says Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam. REUTERS file photo

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — Rather than restricting freedom of speech, combating falsehoods allows for more constructive social and political discourse, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Wednesday (Jan 10).

“I think most Singaporeans would agree that free, online debate, including the expression of critical comments, should not be predicated on deliberate falsehoods… In fact, keeping falsehoods out of our discourse enables freedom of speech to be meaningfully exercised,” he said.

The minister was responding to concerns raised in Parliament on whether government intervention in dealing with the spread of deliberate falsehoods online may have a chilling effect on public discourse.

While they supported the formation of a Select Committee to study and suggest options to tackle the global scourge, some Members of Parliament (MPs) such as Chua Chu Kang MP Zaqy Mohamad and Nee Soon MP Lee Bee Wah urged the Government to assure Singaporeans that this is not a move to “silence the critics”.

“The citizens must not lose that freedom to (criticise), feedback and put points of views across as long as they are based on truths and not deliberately pushing falsehoods,” said Mr Zaqy.

The Republic should refrain from a heavy-handed approach that may “rule out constructive, though at times disagreeable, voices”, said Nominated MP Kok Heng Leun.

“If there (is) to be a new legislation against online falsehoods, it needs to balance the interest of national security and preserving public order, with the interest of enabling individuals to have meaningful discussions on issues of concern, including Government policies, without fear of action being taken against them,” he said.

Others like Marine Parade MP Seah Kian Peng agreed countering falsehoods is a way of “safeguarding” freedom of speech.

“(The authorities) have a duty to ensure…that the marketplace of public discourse is not crowded out by falsehoods,” said Mr Seah.

In the “post-truth” era, even when facts are presented to debunk falsehoods, many people still opt to believe the latter, he said.

“Just throwing all the ‘data’ we have into a pot and then leaving people to distinguish between good and bad information makes the assumption that people have both the time and capacity to do this…Most people can’t be bothered,” he added.

Holland-Bukit Timah MP Christopher de Souza said false news often continues to circulate even after it has been repudiated. Rebuttals are often done “hours after the viral impact and seldom reaches all the audiences (of the falsehoods)”, he said.

“Therefore, while we should not hamper constructive discussion and the expression of viewpoints, we need to make sure that decisions are based on the foundation of truth and not the shifting sands of falsehood.”

 

 

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.