SINGAPORE: Facebook has blocked access to the State Times Review’s (STR) page in Singapore, after it was instructed to do so on Monday (Feb 17) by the office overseeing the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran had directed the POFMA Office to order Facebook to block Singapore users from accessing STR’s page, which has failed to comply with at least three correction directions since November last year.
Facebook had issued a correction notice last year for another STR post.
Responding to queries from CNA on Tuesday, Facebook said that it was “legally compelled” to carry out the order.
“After careful review of the order, Facebook has determined that we are legally compelled to restrict access to this page in Singapore,” a Facebook spokesman told CNA.
It also said that it believes “orders like this are disproportionate” and “contradict the Government’s claim that POFMA would not be used as a censorship tool”.
“We’ve repeatedly highlighted this law’s potential for overreach and we’re deeply concerned about the precedent this sets for the stifling of freedom of expression in Singapore,” said the spokesperson.
Checks by CNA showed the page was inaccessible to Singapore users on Tuesday, but available in other cities.
The State Times Review’s (STR) Facebook page was blocked in Singapore on Tuesday Feb 18, 2020.
The States Times Review Facebook page was available outside of Singapore on Feb 18, 2020.
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STR’s Facebook page was designated as a Declared Online Location (DOL) on Saturday, a day after Health Minister Gan Kim Yong ordered that the page be served a correction direction for a post containing claims about the COVID-19 situation that were “entirely untrue”.
A Declared Online Location is defined by the POFMA Office as “online locations that have carried three or more different online falsehoods that are the subject of active directions issued by POFMA Office”.
DOLs are required to carry a notice warning readers to “exercise caution and do additional fact-checking” when accessing the sites for information.
The STR Facebook page, which is owned by Alex Tan, has not carried the required notice.
STR said on Tuesday it was shutting down to meet the Government’s compliance requirements, with The Real Singapore taking over its Facebook page and website.
Its Facebook page name was changed to @THEREALSINGAPORE on Tuesday.
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