Who Gets To Decide the Truth?

It isn’t just the United States that is preoccupied with the threat of fake news. In Malaysia, a bill outlawing fake news just passed. The new law could mean jail time for those who not only create but also spread misleading information.

It isn’t just the United States that is preoccupied with the threat of fake news. In Malaysia, a bill outlawing fake news just passed. The new law could mean jail time for those who not only create but also spread misleading information.

Meanwhile, what exactly qualifies as “fake news” remains unclear in the bill. The legislation raises the question: who gets to declare what is true, and conversely, what is false? The ambiguity behind how fake news is determined leaves open the possibility that the government will unjustly censor speech in the name of banning fake news.

Read more about Malaysia’s bill against fake news here:

www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/world/asia/malaysia-fake-news-law.html