Transformative Justice Collective barred from receiving financial benefit under POFMA
The anti-death penalty activist group was handed five POFMA orders between August and December.
A screenshot of the website of anti-death penalty activist group Transformative Justice Collective on Dec 20, 2024.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: From Saturday (Dec 21), the operators of the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) will be barred from receiving financial or other material benefits via its website and social media pages.
This is among the restrictions that come with being designated as Declared Online Locations (DOLs) under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
The restrictions are due to the "multiple falsehoods" communicated on the online platforms operated by the anti-death penalty activist group - namely its website, as well as its Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X pages - the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said on Friday (Dec 20).
The DOLs will be in effect for two years until Dec 20, 2026.
An online location such as a website or webpage is declared as a DOL if it has carried three or more different false statements of fact that are the subject of active POFMA directions.
In addition, at least three of these false statements of fact must have been communicated on each online location in the six-month period prior to the DOL declaration.
MDDI noted that from August to December, TJC was handed five POFMA orders over false statements concerning the Singapore government’s treatment of prisoners awaiting capital punishment and related issues.
Each of TJC’s aforementioned online platforms has met the following requirements under POFMA to be declared as a DOL, the ministry added.
While TJC's five online platforms can continue to operate, they are each required to carry a notice during this period stating that they have been declared a DOL, that "multiple falsehoods" have been communicated and that viewers should exercise caution when accessing for information.
DOLs must be demonetised as POFMA prohibits operators from deriving financial benefits by spreading falsehoods.
Service providers and digital advertising bodies must also take reasonable steps to ensure that paid content that they include on DOLs are not communicated in Singapore.
Individuals and companies must also not provide financial support to DOLs, such as TJC's online platforms, if they know it would "support, help or promote the communication of falsehoods in Singapore", added MDDI.
FIVE POFMA ORDERS IN AS MANY MONTHS
TJC was last week issued its fifth POFMA order in as many months after the group published an article on its platforms alleging that a death row prisoner was scheduled for execution before he had the opportunity to submit his clemency petition.
Previous orders were issued on Aug 8,Aug 11,Oct 5ԻNov 26.
“Members of the public are advised to be alert to TJC’s history of communicating falsehoods on TJC’s online platforms, and to fact-check information published on these online locations,” said MDDI.
The operator of the online location may apply to the Minister for Digital Development and Information to suspend, vary or cancel the declaration. If the minister refuses the application, an appeal can be made to the High Court.
There are 12 other DOLs currently in effect - Gutzy Asia's website and social media pages,Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam's website and social media pages, as well as The Online Citizen Asia’s (TOCA) website and social media pages. Gutzy Asia previously published content as The Online Citizen Asia.
