The Straits Times
15 March 2018
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- Tackle Fake News with Laws and Other Steps, Panel Told
Tackle Fake News with Laws and Other Steps, Panel Told
Tackling fake news will call for a host of measures including fact-checking organisations and media literacy programmes. This is in addition to laws to tackle disinformation, experts told a parliamentary committee looking into the issue.
A total of 10 speakers – the first batch of 79 individuals and organisations to speak over the next three weeks – with backgrounds in research, law, defence studies and religion were quizzed on their written submissions yesterday.
… At the same time, legislation cannot be the only solution, he added. “We must balance legislation with education as well as reaching out to different communities,” he said.
It was a call made by many of the other speakers yesterday, as they offered ideas on tackling a scourge that Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said was one that could cause Singapore great harm. This is especially given that Singapore is polyglot, multiracial and data-rich – traits that make it a tempting target of organised disinformation campaigns, he added, citing a submission to be made by academic Shashi Jayakumar.
… Fact-checking services was a popular suggestion. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies defence and strategic studies specialist Michael Raska suggested an independent centre that inspects fake news sources, similar to what has been done in the Czech Republic. It can monitor fake news sites and track their funding and ties to disinformation networks, he said.
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Last updated on 15/03/2018
