SINGAPORE — Some 40 instances of “fake news” on COVID-19 have been debunked and clarified by the government since late January this year, said Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran in Parliament on Monday (4 May).
These include speculations, rumours, scams, and outright falsehoods, he added, in response to questions by MacPherson SMC Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling on the issue of fake news during the outbreak in Singapore.
He was responding to Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan’s queries on actions taken by authorities to tackle falsehoods. Under the act, offenders can face a jail term of up to three years, a maximum fine of $10,000 or both. Legislation actions have also been taken under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, or POFMA, against Singaporeans, here or abroad, as well as some foreign parties and websites.
"Having said that, I think they are also episodic and we see sometimes, for want of a better word, a cluster pops up because there's a new source of information and then others build on it," he said.
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