S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies senior fellow Benjamin Ang, whose submission focused on falsehoods that amount to national security threats, suggested setting up an independent body of non-governmental experts.

This group can help assess if the falsehoods are part of a larger disinformation operation. If so, a strategic rather than reactive response should be taken, he said in his written submission. This means not every story should be taken down or rebutted immediately, he added.

Mr Ang summed up the principles that should guide Singapore’s response to falsehoods, which include building trust through transparent, continuous communication and building media literacy.

There are limitations to using legislation, he said, as this can be circumvented and online falsehoods can be used instead to build up the narrative that the Government is suppressing the truth.

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