Govt directs Facebook to run correction notice on States Times Review post, after page owner's non-compliance

SINGAPORE — The Government has ordered Facebook to publish a correction notice on a post made by the States Times Review (STR) that contains falsehoods, after STR failed to comply with an earlier order to run a correction. 

This is the first time that the Government has issued an order to an Internet intermediary under the recently-enacted anti fake news laws. 

On Friday (Nov 29), Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) Office to issue a “targeted correction direction” to Facebook.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the targeted correction direction requires Facebook to publish a correction notice on the STR post, which had been published on Nov 23.

TODAY has reached out to Facebook for comment. 

The Government had on Thursday directed STR to carry a correction notice on the post, which alleged, among other things, that the People’s Action Party will be fielding a Christian evangelist in the upcoming General Election to win Christian votes. This is the second such direction to be issued in four days, after the Government made a similar order on Monday on opposition member Brad Bowyer.

The STR post also said that the “whistleblower” who had exposed the PAP candidate’s Christian affiliations had been arrested and faced police charges for fabricating fake news.

These claims are false and baseless, MHA had said.

Mr Alex Tan, who runs STR, responded on Facebook that he would not comply with the order. 

The Pofma Office has also commenced investigations against Mr Tan for failing to comply with the order, MHA said on Friday.