Countering fake news is more than just about having new laws, experts say

Commenting on the report released by the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, SMU Dean of Law Associate Professor Goh Yi Han noted that the committee had considered that falsehoods can occur in many different situations, "each of which may lead to varying degrees of impact". This shows that the committee is aware that "a nuanced approach, comprising public education and carefully calibrated legislation, needs to be taken against deliberate online falsehoods", he added. SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan pointed out that laws seeking to prosecute individuals based outside Singapore have their limitations. The key challenge is bringing those individuals here. "In terms of investigation, the evidence may also be abroad and so, the co-operation of the authorities here is necessary," he added. As for social media giants, he said that they probably operate and are registered here, so they should come within Singapore's jurisdiction. "In any case, they are not going to run away and hide."