Meta handed POFMA order after users reposted false claims by anti-death penalty group

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued social media platform Meta an order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) after its users reposted false claims made by anti-death penalty group Transformative Justice Collective (TJC).

MHA said in a statement that it was aware of 10 Facebook and 30 Instagram posts made by some individuals on 23 and 24 October 2024, which re-post the false statements made by TJC on 2 October 2024.

The TJC posts contained false statements in relation to the scheduling of executions in Singapore, and the prosecution of drug trafficking charges.

A Correction Direction was then issued to TJC on 5 October 2024. TJC was required to insert a correction notice on the TJC Posts, stating that they contained false statements. 

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TJC complied with the direction by 6 October 2024. However, by re-posting the TJC Posts on 23 and 24 October 2024, those individuals had chosen to communicate falsehoods that they knew or should have known contained false statements.

As a result, MHA instructed the POFMA Office to issue a targeted correction directions to Meta. The TCDs require Meta to alert users who have seen the repeat posts that they contain false statements. 

The TCDs also require users to be provided with the link to the Government’s clarification. The clarification sets out the falsehoods and facts for the public to examine, without requiring the original posts to be removed.

Readers can read both the original posts and the facts and decide for themselves what is the truth, said MHA. 

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