Singapore invokes 'fake news' law for first time over Facebook post

Monday, 25 November 2019 10:21

In a first, Singapore has directed political leader Brad Bowyer to correct a Facebook post under the country's new "fake news" law.

The government said his post displayed misleading and false statements about state investor Temasek Holdings and sovereign wealth fund GIC.

In a directive under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), the government asked Bowyer, a member of the Progress Singapore Party, to carry in full the correction notice at the top of his Facebook post.

"I have no problem in following that request as I feel it is fair to have both points of view and clarifications and corrections of fact when necessary," Bowyer said in a statement on Facebook.

The new law came into effect in October.

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