Singapore Passes Foreign Interference Law Allowing Authorities To Block Internet Content (theguardian.com) 33
Singapore's parliament has passed a law aimed at preventing foreign interference in domestic politics, which the opposition and activists have criticised as a tool to crush dissent. From an AFP report: The law, approved after a marathon session that stretched to near midnight on Monday, would allow authorities to compel internet service providers and social media platforms to provide user information, block content and remove applications used to spread content they deem hostile. Groups and individuals involved in local politics can be designated as "politically significant persons," which would require them to disclose foreign funding sources and subject them to other "countermeasures" to reduce the risk of overseas meddling.
Violators risk prison terms and hefty fines on conviction. Campaigners say it is the latest piece of draconian legislation to be rolled out in a city-state where authorities are frequently accused of curbing civil liberties. But in a lengthy address to parliament, law and home affairs minister K Shanmugam said Singapore was vulnerable to "hostile information campaigns" carried out from overseas and through local proxies. "The internet has created a powerful new medium for subversion," he said. "Countries are actively developing attack and defence capabilities as an arm of warfare, equal to, and more potent than, the land, air and naval forces."
Violators risk prison terms and hefty fines on conviction. Campaigners say it is the latest piece of draconian legislation to be rolled out in a city-state where authorities are frequently accused of curbing civil liberties. But in a lengthy address to parliament, law and home affairs minister K Shanmugam said Singapore was vulnerable to "hostile information campaigns" carried out from overseas and through local proxies. "The internet has created a powerful new medium for subversion," he said. "Countries are actively developing attack and defence capabilities as an arm of warfare, equal to, and more potent than, the land, air and naval forces."
Foreign interference in domestic politics (Score:1)
Re:Foreign interference in domestic politics (Score:5, Informative)
Social media has only themselves to blame for such regulation.
The censorship and intimidation are aimed at the citizens of Singapore. Social media is just the middleman and not even a necessary one since ISPs are also compelled to censor and turn over customer information to the government.
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Social media has only themselves to blame for such regulation.
The censorship and intimidation are aimed at the citizens of Singapore.
No doubt about that, but when lawmakers could point at the actual cases of interference and then later use it as a pretext, a lot of the blame falls on social media companies.
Re: Foreign interference in domestic politics (Score:2)
Re: Foreign interference in domestic politics (Score:3)
"The censorship and intimidation are aimed at the citizens of Singapore"
And people point out this bully state as some shining example of a perfect society.
"But..but..China!"
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Yeah, if they were just a bit more educated so they could differentiate between information and foreign influence, they could have it.
Coming to a country near you soon.
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More like, the people only have themselves to blame if they're too stupid to just tell the bullshit peddlers to go fuck themselves and instead believe any harebrained crap thrown their way.
We will "compel" you (Score:4, Informative)
"midnight on Monday, would allow authorities to *compel internet service providers and social media platforms to provide user information, block content and remove applications used to spread content they deem hostile."
"Violators risk prison terms and hefty fines on conviction*"
*Do what we tell you or we will break your legs.
Fascism Lite is still fascism.
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Is it, though? With a GLP-3 AI and a cheap botnet you can create an online mob that supports any opinion you want. We have seen countless examples of this and the process is only getting more efficient from here. I do not support censorship in any way, shape or form, but the cat's out the bag now. Democracy just wasn't designed for a world were Influence is common currency.
We went from opinions being censored to opinions being generated by whoever can afford the meager price, and I would love to see how the
Re:We will "compel" you (Score:5, Interesting)
Singapore has never touted itself as a bastion of freedom.
It is however a fairly stable and prosperous country.
They do carefully manage their population. They even have things like controlling the number of people from a religious/ethnic background in a neighborhood to make sure the society stays 'diverse' and ethnic strongholds don't take charge.
They actively control their media to make sure it does not stir ethnic/religious divisions.
That this is now being done on the 'internet' should come as no surprise.
I take a fairly judgment free look at places like Singapore. It is a challenge managing a multi-ethnic, multi religious society. By most measures, Singapore is doing reasonable for itself and provides reasonable prosperity and quality of life for its people.
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Do what we like or the whole liberal media will come down on you is so much better?
Censorship by media consensus that something must be censored is little different from government censorship, except that I have more democratic control over government.
Re: We will "compel" you (Score:2)
"Do what we like or the whole liberal media will come down on you is so much better?"
The "liberal media" (whatever) does not have the power to throw you behind bars or have SWAT raid your house and confiscate your equipment like a government does.
I'd rather take my chances with the wing flavored popular media.
The Escapists (Score:2, Interesting)
One of the things about liberal democracy that is hard to see from the inside is how the system must be all consuming. The people trapped in such a system are forced to engage with it constantly. You are not allowed to live outside of politics. Everywhere you go there are people preaching the latest gospel, demanding you engage with it, usually demanding you not only have an opinion, but you have the right opinion. There is no escape from politics, because politics is everywhere.
The reason for this is democ
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Hitler and Trump got elected though, liberal democracy in some circumstances has the seeds of its own destruction.
Liberal democracy is not complete without diversity, only when the people can be trivially divide and conquered and no demagogue/populist can use the system against itself is liberal democracy complete. Trump was the final little rebellion, totalitarian rule by cancel culture is almost complete.
This "IS" only about Singapore, right? (Score:2, Flamebait)
If Texas can "nationalize" private companies, because of but-hurt conservatives getting banned for terrorism support online, where is Texas any different than the current Singapore regime now that Texas has banned American voters?
Despots being despots (Score:1)
is not news
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If your prediction is right, I'll give you kudo points, but only under the condition that I can kick you in the gonads if you are wrong.
Re: Despots being despots (Score:2)
And this is why the internet is broken. You can give your kudos perfectly fine in the virtual world but you cannot kick him in the balls.
Point. Set. Match. Censorship is inevitable.
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I have my ways
subversion (Score:2)
"The internet has created a powerful new medium for subversion"
Yeah, it's almost like any git can contribute whatever he wants. But that is not necessarily a bad idea.
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Singapore's glove (Score:3)
Internet will become many tiny Intranets (Score:2)
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You mean, we could get an internet again without foreign shills trying to destablize and divide the country?
Re: Internet will become many tiny Intranets (Score:2)
Not America but everyone else. The US loves being the wild west.