SINGAPORE: Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Search, Baidu and HardwareZone will no longer be exempted from general correction directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), said the Ministry of Communications and Information on Thursday (Jan 30).
Several Internet intermediaries were temporarily exempted from having to comply with correction direction requirements when POFMA came into effect on October 2019.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMCI said the exemptions will be lifted on Friday “given the evolving situation with the Wuhan coronavirus”.
[h=3]READ: Wuhan virus outbreak - At a glance[/h]“The Government is prepared to use all tools at its disposal to provide the public with accurate and up-to-date information, and to deal with falsehoods that may cause panic or confusion,” MCI said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the POFMA Office issued a targeted correction direction to Facebook over two posts on the platform that claimed that Woodlands MRT station was closed due to the Wuhan coronavirus.
AdvertisementAdvertisementA day earlier another correction notice was issued to SPH Magazines over a post on its HardwareZone Forum, which claimed that a person had died in Singapore from the Wuhan virus.
[h=3]MORE: Our coverage on the Wuhan virus and its developments[/h]“With the lifting of this exemption, Facebook, Google Search, Baidu, Twitter, and HardwareZone will be required to carry GCDs if the Act is applied to them," said MCI.
“We have worked closely with the relevant technology companies, and appreciate the industry’s support and cooperation in our national response to this challenging situation.”
The coronavirus, which originated from the city of Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province, has spread across the world with 13 confirmed cases in Singapore as of Thursday.
Thailand on Thursday arrested two people for posting "fake news" about the virus.
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