Singapore defends fake news law as weapon to fight Covid-19

A man, wearing a protective facemask amid fears about the spread of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus, walks past the Rain Vortex display at Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. — AFP

A top Singapore official rebuffed Facebook Inc’s criticism of the country’s fake news law as an "allergic reaction” to getting regulated, arguing the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic reinforces the need to police the Internet.

Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran said in an interview the proliferation of falsehoods around the outbreak has demonstrated how legislation is needed to quell errant online information. He said he wasn’t surprised by the US social media giant’s response to a government order to block a page on its website. While Facebook complied, it warned that could set a precedent for stifling free speech – a rare instance of a foreign company openly questioning the affluent nation’s policies.