Name: A guide to anti-misinformation actions around the world - Poynter
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A guide to anti-misinformation actions around the world - Poynter

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By Daniel Funke and Daniela Flamini BRUSSELS — In mid-March 2018, a European Commission high-level group published &nbsp;on misinformation, drawing upon the input of experts from around the world who gathered over several weeks to help the European Union figure out what to do about misinformation. The report created by the high-level group —&nbsp; in November 2017 to help the EU craft policies to address &nbsp;about misinformation in Europe — contains an&nbsp;&nbsp;to addressing misinformation around the world (Disclosure: Poynter attended the meetings as one of the experts). The report, while imperfect, explicitly recommends not regulating against misinformation — but the EU is only one of many governing bodies that have sought to stem the flow of online misinformation over the past few months. Spanning from Brazil to South Korea, these efforts&nbsp;&nbsp;and are frequently victims of uncertainty. The&nbsp;&nbsp;of fake news, the relative reach of which&nbsp;, hinders governments’ ability to accomplish anything effective. In the spirit of this confusion, explained in detail in a , Poynter has created a guide for existing attempts to legislate against what can broadly be referred to as online misinformation. While not every law contained here relates to misinformation specifically, they’ve all often been wrapped into that broader discussion. We have attempted to label different interventions as clearly as possible. Since these efforts seem to be announced weekly, this article will be updated on an ongoing basis. If you catch an error or know of an update in one of our summaries, email&nbsp;&nbsp;or use the Google Form at the bottom of this page and we’ll update as soon as possible. &nbsp; &nbsp; . &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation On June 14, 2018, lawmakers to Belarus’ media laws that allow the government to prosecute people who spread false information online. One lawmaker said the legislation, which also allows for social media and other websites to be blocked if found in violation of the law, is aimed at bolstering citizens’ rights while also strengthening state information security. On June 8, the Committee to Protect Journalists the legislation, saying that it — in addition to that aims to tighten Belarusian media regulations — could lead to more selective prosecution of journalists. According to the country already has no press freedom. &nbsp; Action: and Focus: Misinformation In early May 2018, Belgian Minister for the Digital Agenda Alexander De Croo announced two initiatives aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation online. First, the government established an expert group of journalists and scholars to come up with potential solutions by June 25, 2018. Second, it launched to inform people about misinformation and implement a Reddit style of upvoting and downvoting proposed solutions from the government. A public debate also took place in Brussels on May 17. &nbsp; &nbsp; In June 2019, Burkina Faso’s parliament a law that seeks to punish the publication of “fake news” information compromising security operations, false information about rights abuses or destruction of property, or images and audio from a ‘terrorist’ attack.” &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Action: and Focus: Misinformation China has some of the strictest laws in the world when it comes to misinformation. In 2016, the government creating or spreading rumors that “undermine economic and social order,” . in 2017 requires social media platforms to solely republish and link to news articles from registered news media. This year, authorities and started requiring microblogging sites to highlight and refute rumors on their platforms. In late August 2018, Chinese authorities launched an app that lets people report potential fakery. that the app, which also leverages artificial intelligence to automatically detect rumors, has accounts on platforms like Weibo and WeChat, on which it broadcasts reports from state-owned media. &nbsp; Action: Focus: Hate speech* Borrowing from in Germany, the Croatian government in January 2018 that it’s working on a law to halt the spread of hate speech and misinformation on social media platforms. The bill, which primarily takes aim at Facebook, endeavors to primarily educate citizens as opposed to sanctioning the spread of misinformation. While fact-checkers aren’t too sure about the specifics, hate speech seems like a more natural area of regulation for lawmakers in Europe. The draft bill is the product of a working group from the Central State Office for Digital Society, which that hate speech, public incitement to violence and the spread of fake news should all be addressed in one law (only the first two are covered by the criminal code). The legislation was scheduled to be released by June 2018. *This law does not have enforceable mechanisms to combat misinformation, as . &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Action: Focus: Hate speech* Having Jan. 1, 2018, Germany’s law against hate speech on Facebook is perhaps the most realized — but often misunderstood — effort to quell potentially harmful content online. The law, titled “Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz” (NetzDG), forces online platforms to remove “obviously illegal” posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to €50 million. Aimed at social networks with more than 2 million members — such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter — the law was passed in June 2017 and gave platforms until the end of the year to prepare for the regulation. The law’s implementation points to the Bundestag’s willingness to move against questionable online content, but its enforcement has been rocky. A satirical magazine called Titanic published a piece with insults and from Twitter, and even the minister of justice — who helped author the NetzDG — . In early March 2018, officials the law following criticism that too much content was being blocked. Among those revisions includes allowing users to get incorrectly deleted content restored, as well as pushing social media companies to set up independent bodies to review questionable posts. *This law does not have enforceable mechanisms to combat misinformation, as . &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Action: Focus: Political bots and advertising* Lawmakers a bill in early December 2017 that would make using a bot to create multiple fake accounts posing as different people spreading political messages a criminal offense. According to the bill, using a bot to create 25 or more personas on social media would be punishable by up to five years in prison or fines of up to €10,000. The legislation also takes a page from the Honest Ads bill in the U.S. Congress, eliciting widespread coverage as a law condemning all misinformation — an error in nuance that . The ruling party, which opposes the bill, in parliament in mid-December 2017 and it has moved on to the committee stage, where it’s unlikely to progress further. *This law does not deal directly with misinformation, as . &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta May 16, 2018, criminalizing 17 different types of cybercrimes, including cyberbullying, espionage and computer forgery. And misinformation made the cut. Under the law, people who knowingly share false or misleading information in an attempt to make it look real can be fined up to 5,000,000 shilling (nearly $50,000) or imprisoned for up to two years. Before Kenyatta signed the bill, for Parliament to review it to make sure it didn’t violate free speech provisions. On May 10, the Committee to Protect Journalists this law, saying that it would “criminalize free speech, with journalists and bloggers likely to be among the first victims.” &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation Malaysia in early April 2018 to share misinformation, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to do so. Lawmakers in one house of parliament the legislation in mid-August after voters booted out the governing party. The Guardian reported that a senior official said the police would instead be given new powers to deal with the “phenomenon” of misinformation. But the new opposition to the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in the upper house of parliament in mid-September. Malaysia’s new prime minister that he intended for the law to stay, albeit with a clearer definition of fake news. However, on May 22, the country’s new communications and multimedia minister said the law , and in late June, the new government seeking to repeal the law by the summer. The law makes publishing or sharing fake news punishable by up to six years in jail and a fine of 500,000 ringgit ($128,000). It also makes online service providers more responsible for third-party content, affects foreign news outlets reporting on Malaysia and anyone can lodge a complaint against an alleged purveyor of misinformation. Representatives from social media companies like Facebook and Google in Kuala Lumpur in mid-March to get their views on the law. The previous government opposition argued the definition of what constitutes fake news — “any news, information, data and reports which are wholly or partly false, whether in the form of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words or ideas” — was too vague and that the law is an effort to stifle free speech ahead of the August election. In late April 2018, the first person was a Danish citizen for “inaccurate criticism of police on social media,” Reuters reported. He posted a YouTube video accusing Malaysian officials of taking 50 minutes to respond to a shooting on April 21, which police said actually took eight minutes. Government &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation In mid-October 2018, three journalists were jailed in Myanmar after publishing a story about the Yangon regional government, which claimed the article was false. that the story, which was published by Eleven Media Group, alleged that the government misused public money. Officials argued that the editor-in-chief, managing editor and reporter of the news outlet violated a law that prohibits the publication of “incorrect information” that causes “fear or alarm to the public.” The journalists could face up to two years in prison and a fine. &nbsp; &nbsp; Misinformation &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation In early October 2018, the Pakistani government started going after misinformation on a platform where it regularly appears: Twitter. &nbsp;that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting called Fake News Buster in an attempt to debunk “fake and negative propaganda” online. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told the news outlet that the government would additionally take action against those that spread misinformation. &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation In February 2018, the chair of the Senate’s Committee on Public Information and Mass Media filed a bill that would hold government officials accountable for spreading false information. However, the measure as unconstitutional, and President Rodrigo Duterte has said in the past that such a law . Duterte the term “fake news” as an epithet for media outlets he dislikes, and even of spreading misinformation himself. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation After the reported murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018, Saudi authorities who post “fake news” online with up to five years in prison and heavy fines. Gizmodo reported that officials cited Article 6 of Saudi Arabia’s cybercrimes regulations, which makes it a crime to breach “public order, religious values, public morals and privacy.” &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Action: Focus: Media regulation* Tanzania is taking advantage of growing concern about online misinformation against online publishers. that the government plans to charge bloggers about $920 a year for the privilege of publishing online — in a country with a nominal per capita income of less than $900. the move is an effort to curtail lies online by passing costs on to publishers. The High Court paused the May 5, 2018, implementation after activists and media outlets challenged it, but it later passed. Violators will be fined a minimum of five million Tanzanian shillings (US $2,202), jailed for no less than a year or both. that the law has already discouraged many young content creators to go offline. *This law does not address misinformation directly, as others . &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation Amid an economic crisis in Turkey, the government launched an investigation into what it’s calling fake news stories aimed at manipulating the economy. The Capital Markets Board said that it would seek legal action against individuals who publish “erroneous and fabricated news and statements” about banks, companies and financial institutions, . The potential punishment could be between two and five years in prison, as well as fines. In addition, the Interior Ministry opened an investigation into 346 social media accounts that “provoke the currency rate increase,” . &nbsp; Action: Focus: Internet regulation* A new tax in Uganda that charges citizens for the ability to use social media platforms July 1, 2018. The tax, which President Yoweri Museveni reportedly to cut down on the spread of gossip, is primarily aimed at creating another revenue stream for the government. The government — which during the 2016 election — is charging mobile phone users 200 Ugandan shillings ($0.05) for using platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, Twitter, and Skype. Museveni to commodities like alcohol and tobacco. While it’s still unclear how the government is going to detect when users log into social media accounts and then tax them, the law is an attempt to co-opt concerns about misinformation to further regulate free speech. Uganda has partial press freedom, . *This does not directly address misinformation, as others . &nbsp; Action: Focus: Misinformation During a talk in October 2018, a Dubai police official that sharing misinformation on social media is a crime punishable by law. Under the law, sharing rumors online could merit a fine of up to Dh1 million (roughly $272,250). &nbsp; Action: and Focus: Misinformation and foreign disinformation campaigns* After 18 months of thinking about how the government should address misinformation, U.K. lawmakers on July 29, 2018. that the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of Parliament issued include: a rejection of the term “fake news,” applying existing media regulations to online news and the creation of a working group to research how misinformation spreads. The British government has also set up the , which is tasked with “combating disinformation by state actors and others.” That decision came amid of Russia’s reported use of fake social media accounts to spread misinformation about the Brexit referendum in summer 2016. While details are scant, that the initiative echoes a Cold War-era tactic. *It’s not clear that this effort targets misinformation instead of propaganda, as others . &nbsp; &nbsp; Are we missing a proposed law or other action against online misinformation? Email or use the form below and we’ll update the story accordingly. Loading... August 13: The sections for Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, The Philippines and the United Kingdom were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Burkina Faso, Mexico and Oman. June 13: The sections for Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Indonesia, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Bahrain, Benin, Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo. April 9, 2019: The sections for Denmark, Egypt, France, Russia, Singapore, Sweden and the United States were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Israel and The Netherlands. Feb. 12, 2019: The sections for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, France, Singapore and the United States were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Canada,&nbsp;Côte d’Ivoire, Thailand and Vietnam. Jan. 8, 2019: The sections for Bangladesh, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and the United States were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Rwanda and Sri Lanka. Oct. 31, 2018: The sections for Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United States were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Sept. 25, 2018: The sections for Brazil, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Australia and Turkey. July 24, 2018: The sections for France, Tanzania and Uganda were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Cambodia, Denmark, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia and Taiwan. July 2, 2018: The sections for France, Malaysia, Singapore and the U.S. were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Belarus and India. May 22, 2018: The sections for Brazil and Malaysia were updated with the latest news. New entries were created for Belgium, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. April 9, 2018: The section for Malaysia was updated with the latest news. Oct. 31, 2018: A previous version of this story stated that Malaysia’s anti-misinformation law had been repealed, per . In fact, the law had only been repealed by one house of Parliament, not two. April 9, 2018: A previous version of this story stated that an Irish bill aimed at criminalizing the creation of multiple fake social media accounts to spread political messages was downvoted in parliament. In fact, the bill criminalizes the creation of multiple accounts only if they’re made to look like different people, and the bill was downvoted by the ruling party but passed by a narrow margin to the committee stage. Written by Daniel Funke and Daniela Flamini Reporting by Daniela Flamini, Daniel Funke, Masato Kajimoto and Alexander Damiano Ricci Designed by Daniel Funke and Ren LaForme Edited by Barbara Allen and Alexios Mantzarlis

By Daniel Funke and Daniela Flamini BRUSSELS — In mid-March 2018, a European Commission high-level group published &nbsp;on misinformation, drawing upon the input of experts from around the world who gathered over several weeks to help the European Union figure out what to do about misinformation. The report created by the high-level group —&nbsp; in November 2017 to help the EU craft policies to address &nbsp;about misinformation in Europe — contains an&nbsp;&nbsp;to addressing misinformation around the world (Disclosure: Poynter attended the meetings as one of the experts). The report,...

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A guide to anti-misinformation actions around the world - Poynter

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