Danish Man Is First Person Sentenced Under Malaysia’s Anti-Fake-News Law

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance, writing before the law was passed, said it was “another weapon for the Malaysian government to control the press,” noting the risk of criminal consequences for reporters who make errors, as well as the possibility of using the law to suppress critical opinions from satirists or opinion writers.

But it’s not just journalists who are affected — as Sulaiman’s case makes clear.

As CNET notes, the law makes it illegal to share fake news, as well as to create it, leaving people vulnerable to prosecution for, hypothetically, a retweet. It also applies to people outside of Malaysia, if they are creating or sharing news about a Malaysian person.

And what qualifies as “fake news”?

The definition “is very broad,” international law firm Baker McKenzie advised. “In the absence of judicial interpretation, the practical scope of the provisions of the Act is yet to be seen.”

YouTube videos qualify, as the first case shows, but it’s not yet known what else might be included.

Article Appeared @https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/30/607068241/danish-man-is-first-person-convicted-under-malaysias-anti-fake-news-law

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