In Singapore, a band of leading bloggers and activists are coming together to safeguard their right of freedom of speech on the internet after Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) announced a new, draconian licensing scheme. The proposed ruling has angered many bloggers who have organised the #FreeMyInternet movement which kicked off on Thursday with many bloggers taking their blog/website offline and will organise a large scale protest this Saturday at the iconic Hong Lim Park. There is also a petition calling on MDA to withdraw the licensing regulations for online “news” sites.
The 24-hour “internet blackout” was a direct response to the MDA’s introduction of strict regulations. Under the new rule, news websites that report on Singapore and which have 50,000 unique IP views a month must secure a license. Further, they must put up a ‘performance bond’ of $50,000. The License also makes it clear that online news sites are expected to comply within 24 hours to MDA’s directions to remove content that is found to be in breach of content standards.This is a first-of-its-kind movement to come from South-East Asia which challenges the government and aims to safeguard their right to free speech.
This regulation is a potential violation of our rights to free speech and information, and a clear signal that our government is not averse to making policy decisions without consulting its people. It is a matter that affects every Singaporean, not just bloggers.
The movement has three components – a petition, an online blackout and a protest starting from Saturday. “The new regulation from MDA is specifically targeted at online news providers, although there is some confusion about the definition of ‘news websites’. This regulation is a potential violation of our rights to free speech and information, and a clear signal that our government is not averse to making policy decisions without consulting its people. It is a matter that affects every Singaporean, not just bloggers,” says Lee.
Media laws in Singapore apply to print, television and radio for the most part and these laws state that media companies must apply for licenses and permits from the relevant ministry but it can be revoked at the minister’s discretion. “Hate speech, libel and other objectionable content are covered under other laws. The media also may not broadcast or publish content that the state deems objectionable, such as LGBT issues. The government maintains ‘Out of Bounds’ markers that determine what is objectionable — and said markers are only articulated when someone is deemed to have crossed the line,” says Benjamin Cheah, writer and political blogger.
Online media, until recently, was left by and large unregulated. “The government had a symbolic ban on 100 porn websites, and that’s about that. The state simply left online spaces alone, stepping in only when there was a hue and cry, such as racist remarks,” says Cheah. With almost every major newspaper under the ambit of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and MediaCorp owning the major television and radio channels, SPH and MediaCorp are major media monopolies. “SPH’s leadership has close ties with the government (the chairmen tended to be former or future cabinet ministers) while MediaCorp is owned by a government investment corporation,” says Cheah. In such a scenario, Singapore’s socio-political bloggers are responsible for the arduous task of informed communication and the new regulation will definitely nip them in the bud.
“Right now, the MDA says this new regulation will not apply to blogs. The government is holding the sword of Damocles over the heads of every blogger in Singapore — especially the influential group blogs. These blogs run on shoestring budgets; posting the $50K performance bond is akin to a death sentence. Similarly, any influential blogger who meets the regulatory requirement may have to post that same bond and be subject to the same rules as Big Media. As it stands, almost every significant political blogger in Singapore criticises the government to one degree or other,” says Cheah.
What disturbs these bloggers most is the disregard for democracy shown while proposing the new rule. “What bothers us most is that the MDA pushed through this regulation without having to go through Parliament. The MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communication and Information, but historically the MDA has enacted regulation without going to Parliament, or even providing advance notice,” says Cheah.
What is really disturbing is that the MDA pushed through this regulation without having to go through Parliament. The MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communication and Information, but historically the MDA has enacted regulation without going to Parliament, or even providing advance notice
With global boundaries and communication distances blurring Singapore’s bloggers are hopeful that the awareness about free speech spreads far and wide. “The #FreeMyInternet movement is a coming-together of like minds in Singapore who see a clear danger with this new regulation by MDA. We appreciate the help of the international blogging community to help us raise awareness of this issue – it might not affect them directly, but it increases awareness of what happens in Singapore and might encourage their home governments to help us raise this at international forums,” says Lee.
By Dhanya Nair
