Lively exchange between Select Committee and tech companies

There was a lively exchange at the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods hearing on Thursday (March 22), between the committee panel and representatives of major tech companies. Here are the excerpts:

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee to representatives of tech companies participating in the hearing of the Select Committee on deliberate online falsehoods

Let me be very clear, by no means am I discouraging you from carrying on with your very good policies against hate speech, against terrorism, against violence and religious extremism. These are very important, there are severe consequences if hate speech or violent and religious extremists’ information and their ideology gets spread...

Mr Shanmugam has brought you through a lot of testimony about deliberate online falsehoods being used as a weapon by countries against each other, to undermine the social fabric. It’s not the conventional kinetic warfare where you go against the uniformed soldier and pull the rug from under his feet. 

So… I think perhaps companies should reexamine and rise up to the occasion to the real challenge of deliberate online falsehoods, inasmuch as they have risen to the challenge of hate speech, hate crime and terrorism.

Facebook’s Asia-Pacific vice-president of public policy Simon Milner

We don't allow impersonation on Facebook and we will take down that content… I do not think it is fair to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to something like that (whether Facebook will take down an allegation that Mrs Hillary Clinton runs a paedophilia ring).

I'm afraid to say, there are sometimes rumours that become the truth. I'm absolutely not suggesting that's true in this case but there are rumours that become the truth and if we were to say, you can't publish things which are untrue about Hillary Clinton, how do we know until somebody is able to help us in respect of that?

This is one of the really difficult things here. Some of the examples you are showing are the kinds of things that no reasonable person would believe, but often these things are not as clear-cut as you are suggesting.

Exchanges between Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Facebook’s Asia-Pacific vice-president of public policy Simon Milner

On whether Facebook has a policy of removing falsehoods posted on its platform:

Mr Shanmugam: Even if something is shown to be false, your policy does not require it to be taken down?

Mr Milner: It depends. If it’s shown to be false, for instance, through a court process and we get a court order, then we can and will respect that court order. But there’s an interesting question about who determines what is false and what is true.

Mr Shanmugam: If a falsehood is defined as illegal, then you will be prepared to comply with the court order?

Mr Milner: We respect that… and we will address it.

Mr Shanmugam: Now, of course, the courts can only act based on legislation. You realise that?

Mr Milner: I do realise that and I understand where you’re heading.

On questions relating to what Facebook representatives have said elsewhere

Mr Milner: This committee is looking into the issue of deliberate online falsehoods here in Singapore. Myself and my colleague and other people on this panel have come here prepared to answer questions about it and to help the committee understand it. I don’t think it’s fair to ask me detailed questions about evidence given by my colleague to a different parliament in a different country about activities associated with that country. I really would like the chairman to consider whether this line of questioning is appropriate.

Mr Charles Chong (committee chairman): Mr Milner, I think you should leave it to us to decide what is relevant or not relevant. But if you are unable to answer the question because you don’t know, or if you do not wish to answer the questions, please state so.

Mr Shanmugam: Let me explain to you why this is very relevant, Mr Milner... The questions before the UK Parliament were very relevant in exploring the degree to which you can be trusted, Facebook can be trusted to answer questions when asked, Facebook can be trusted to be a reliable partner, that the Government of Singapore can depend on Facebook to tell us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in proceedings where the witnesses are sworn.