We must fight back against trolling: PM Lee

[Scrooball (clone)]

Singapore's online space must fight against trolling, as it deters serious readers from participating in debate and ruins the overall atmosphere in cyberspace, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Speaking on Friday evening at Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao's 90th anniversary celebrations, PM Lee said it is not about whether people agree or disagree online, but that it is "totally unacceptable" for discussion and debate to degenerate into abuse and hate-mongering.

"We must fight back against trolling, and provide a safe, responsible online environment which promotes constructive participation," he said.

Requiring people to log in to various platforms to comment on articles is a method that has proved instrumental to improving the quality of discussion, said Lee, who cited TODAY as an example for requiring commenters to log in with their Facebook accounts to post their views.

Yahoo Singapore, in turn, requires users to sign into their Yahoo, Facebook or Google accounts before being able to comment on its articles, and Lee announced at the same time that the government's feedback portal REACH will from mid-December require commenters to log in first before posting.

PM Lee also noted how people "no longer read papers or news online" but instead rely on friends' recommendations via social media.

The media, he said, is now "pulled" on demand rather than "pushed" to captive audiences, and the rise of numerous alternative free sources of news online is adding pressure on paid news providers like Zaobao.

He pointed out, however, that "news that travels fastest may not be the most accurate", and that "immediate consensus views may not gel with considered analyses". It is also easier to coalesce in narrower groups, hence tougher to forge a national consensus, he added.

Lee also touched on the recent hacking threats and the rising problem of cyber-bullying. He also highlighted the government's efforts to harmonise its new media rules with those for the mainstream media, in the form of the Media Development Authority's licensing framework and disallowing news and current affairs sites from receiving foreign funding.

"These challenges are not easy to solve. But the new media is already a reality and an indispensable part of our lives," he said. "We must do more to harness its potential to improve our lives, while reducing its downsides."

 

[kopiuncle]

Yes! We must track them down like criminals. These cyberbullies are terrorists. They should be treated with no mercy and they should be hunted down ,jailed and hanged for their treason .

Yes! All forummes must register with their NRIC and Names and email addresses.They should not be allowed to abuse forummers. They should not be allowed to bully forummers. They should not be allowed to Gang Up and mass zap forummers. They should not behave like Mafia Bosses, Thugs, Hooligans and Gangsters. Those who do so should be charged in court for criminal intimidation and threats.

Yes! I fully support stricter regulation of the forums. Thank you.

 

[kopiuncle]

Only unhappy people come to the forum.

Happy people have no time to come to forum.

Those with an agenda, with an axe to grind, have no balls to speak out in public but hide behind the PC, come to forum to make their threats and to bully others.

They are the most unhappy people in the world.

 

[cockeye1918]

Yes! We must track them down like criminals. These cyberbullies are terrorists. They should be treated with no mercy and they should be hunted down ,jailed and hanged for their treason .

Yes! All forummes must register with their NRIC and Names and email addresses.They should not be allowed to abuse forummers. They should not be allowed to bully forummers. They should not be allowed to Gang Up and mass zap forummers. They should not behave like Mafia Bosses, Thugs, Hooligans and Gangsters. Those who do so should be charged in court for criminal intimidation and threats.

Yes! I fully support stricter regulation of the forums. Thank you.

Sifu sifu before we attack others we have to cover our rearguard, our own assholes. While we are condemning we are also doing in the Thai thread. Sifu sifu are we therefore high grade hypocrites? Sifu sifu are we pots trying to call the kettle black?
Sifu sifu is your blackhole calling others black?