Internet freedom crackdowns across Asia target citizens, Big Tech | News | Eco-Business

‘Draconian’ timeframe

More than three-quarters of the world’s over 4.5 billion internet users live in countries where authorities punish online expression, according to Freedom House, which ranked China as having the worst environment for internet freedom.

Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesia enacted rules this year to make social media platforms remove content deemed unlawful or that “disturbs public order” within four hours if considered urgent, and 24 hours if not. Those who do not comply could face fines, criminal charges or being blocked in the country.

Its new criminal code has also tightened controls on so-called “fake news” and insulting the president online.

Vietnam’s Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung told parliament its new laws were needed, as there was a risk that “false news, if it is handled in a slow manner, will spread very widely.” Companies that do not meet the deadlines may have their platforms banned.

Meanwhile, Singapore last month passed an Online Safety Bill that requires social media sites to block “harmful content” within hours, failing which authorities can ask service providers to block access to that content to domestic users.

India said in October it would set up a government panel to examine user complaints about content moderation decisions by social media platforms, sparking concerns about censorship.

And in Thailand, a new law that took effect this month allows authorities to force online service providers and social media platforms to take down content within as little as 24 hours without a court order.

Digital rights groups Access Now and Article 19 said in a statement that the short time-frame for removal is “draconian” and “places unreasonable time pressures on platforms to respond, incentivising them to err on the side of caution”.

Thai authorities have said the new rules are needed for national security and “public safety” purposes.

‘Extremely’ worried

Populous Asian nations make up large markets for social media platforms: there are more than 400 million users of Facebook in India, and nearly 500 million for YouTube. Indonesia has about 176 million Facebook users and some 139 million YouTube users.

Crackdowns on online content – which accelerated during the pandemic under the guise of limiting disinformation – are an attempt by Asian governments to rein in big tech firms, according to Juniarto of SafeNet.

“With elections coming up in several countries, we can expect to see more restrictions online,” he said.

“For the platforms, these are big and growing markets, so they will have to think about how to handle these new regulations and greater government controls,” he said.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and Alphabet’s YouTube did not respond to requests for comment on the new laws. Company officials have previously told Reuters they were concerned about compliance and possible government overreach on online content.

In Vietnam, officials “have clearly become harsher” with the new rules, said Trinh Thi Nhung, wife of Thuan. She has been told to limit her social media posts about her husband, and she and her family were being watched online and offline, she said.

“I’m feeling extremely worried about this,” said Nhung, who sells honey for a living.

Vietnamese authorities have said they found more than 100 articles Thuan had posted on two Facebook accounts, of which more than two dozen were “against the state.”

Nhung said that authorities have not been able to prove the Facebook account they cited in the charges belongs to him, and maintains that her husband is innocent.

“I’m very sad but I don’t regret his actions,” she said, adding that it was hard for her and her seven-year-old daughter to be separated from Thuan.

“I will always support him because I trust him and take pride in him.”

This story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit https://www.context.news/.