Asian push to crack down on 'fake news' sparks alarm
Asian push to crack down on 'fake news' sparks alarm
Critics say anti-fake news laws made by governments with
an authoritarian streak are aimed more at stifling dissent
By Sam Reeves AFP • April 19, 2018
Inflammatory stories masquerading as real news pose a
particularly toxic threat in Asian countries with long-standing religious and
ethnic divides, but promises by some regional leaders to tackle the problem
carry equal menace.
Borrowing from US President Donald Trump's political
playbook, government heads with an authoritarian streak are using the mantra of
"fake news" to shield themselves from negative media coverage, and
push legislation that critics say is aimed more at stifling dissent than
punishing fabrication.
The problem they profess to be addressing is a genuine
one.
Internet penetration is now so extensive -- even in the
poorest areas -- that fake stories dressed up as fact can go viral on social
media overnight and reach massive audiences with often dire consequences.
In India last year, seven people were killed by a mob
after a false story spread on WhatsApp that they were child-traffickers, while
in Myanmar, doctored photos and bogus reports shared on Facebook have fuelled
the persecution of Rohingya Muslims.
A number of Asian leaders have tapped into the resulting
public concern and launched campaigns that claim to target malign
rumour-mongers but, experts say, actually serve to turn the screws on critical
media and political opponents.
"This vague notion of 'fake news', which has been
used and abused by US President Donald Trump, is a boon for governments who
want to muzzle overcurious independent voices," Daniel Bastard, head of
the Asia-Pacific desk at Reporters Without Borders (RSF), told AFP.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte -- who once
memorably warned media that "just because you're a journalist, you're not
exempted from assassination" -- has regularly accused news outlets
critical of his deadly war on drugs of peddling fake news.
He has openly attacked a top newspaper and broadcaster,
while the biggest target of the media clampdown has been news website Rappler.
Philippine authorities have cancelled its corporate
licence over claims the outlet violated foreign ownership laws and filed a
criminal complaint over an alleged failure to pay taxes on bonds it issued.
- Pushing legislation -
In Cambodia, authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen has
openly praised Trump's "Fake News Awards" -- handed out in January by
the president to his usual targets, including CNN and The New York Times -- and
lobbed the "fake news" charge at his own media critics.
It has helped provide ammunition for his government's
sweeping assault on independent media in recent months, with the
widely-respected Cambodia Daily newspaper shuttered after being hit with a huge
tax bill and dozens of independent radio stations closed.
Some countries are seeking to legislate against fake
news, sparking concerns that the laws will be used to stifle dissent.
Malaysia enacted a law this month that punishes
publishers of false reports with up to six years in jail, which observers say
is a clear bid to stifle criticism of scandal-hit Prime Minister Najib Razak
before elections next month.
Singapore has been holding parliamentary hearings to
consider measures, including laws, against what the government terms
"deliberate online falsehoods" while the Philippines is considering
legislation that could see publishers of fake news punished with up to 20 years
in jail.
Clarissa David, a media expert at University of the
Philippines, warned that any such law in the Philippines may become "a
tool for censorship" that could be used to "silence legitimate news
organisations from covering stories that are unfavourable to groups in
power".
Michael Vatikiotis, a Southeast Asia expert, said that
legislating against fake news "puts journalists in deeper peril".
"Unlike normal justifications for curbing media
freedom, fake news is a broad, catch-all definition that is wholly
subjective," Vatikiotis, an author and former journalist, told AFP.
- Alarm in Europe -
Still, fake news is undoubtedly a real threat and has
sparked particular alarm in Europe where governments are worried that Russia
may try to meddle in elections, following allegations that Moscow sought to
tilt the 2016 US poll in Trump's favour.
Germany has passed a law threatening social networks with
fines if they do not remove bogus reports and hate speech while Brussels is
working on a Europe-wide plan to tackle fake news online.
But media rights groups are against legislation, arguing
instead for the press to follow a strict set of standards they set themselves,
and for social media giants such as Facebook to come up with responsible
policies to stem the flood of misleading information.
RSF's Bastard warned that the idea of social media
companies policing themselves could pose as many problems as governments
passing laws, however.
"Will (Facebook CEO) Mark Zuckerberg decide what is
'real' or 'fake'?" he said.
"Just as we have big reservations when states want
to control the 'realness' of news through legislation, we don't want
corporations to decide it without any transparency."
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