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Fake news laws | Should we support them?

In recent years, "fake news" has been a big concern for the general public. News articles posted online may or may not be based on fact, and when misinformation spreads, it's like wildfire. Is this good enough reason for legislation and regulation?



In the United States, we have the first amendment. With this, the constitution states that we have rights to free expression that the government cannot infringe upon. If we were to try and pass legislation like what is currently being considered in Singapore, it would have little chance of passing. That is because the regulation being called for n Singapore is so restrictive that tech companies like Facebook could get into huge legal trouble if articles deemed by the Singaporean government as "fake news" are posted on their platform.

When the government has so much power that they can deem articles as "fake news" and ban them outright, this is a problem for those concerned about freedom of expression. This law would give the government a clear path to heavy censorship of the internet, and although legislatures are most likely trying to put this in place out of concern for legitimate "fake news" and the spreading of misinformation, it is not hard to imagine those in high places using this power for their own agenda.

-Dani

Comments

  1. Although I believe fake news is a problem. I completely agree with you. Acting on the issue would only lead to censorship in the future. It would also go against the First Amendment of free speech. These best thing these social media sites can do is inform individuals on what fake news is.

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