SINGAPORE– In less than a week, Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an activist group that opposes the death penalty, received another injunction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
According to a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday (11 August), this correction order relates to TJC’s posts on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) on 6 August. In the posts, TJC stated that the executions of two death row inmates on 2 and 7 August 2024 were carried out without regard to due process. They also alleged that the death penalty was used arbitrarily to determine who lives or dies.
MHA emphasises that these claims are untrue. A more detailed explanation of why these claims are false is available on the government’s fact-checking website, Factually. In response, TJC has posted correction notices on all three social media platforms.
Previously, TJC also received a POFMA order regarding posts about the treatment of death row inmates. This order required them to post correction notices on the relevant platforms.
In addition, the MHA also issued a special correction order to LinkedIn for a post by a user named ‘Julie O’Connor’ on 6 August. The order required LinkedIn to add a correction notice to the post, which has now been updated with a link to the government’s official clarification.
A LinkedIn spokesperson expressed the platform’s commitment to maintaining professionalism and complying with the laws of the countries in which it operates. However, the LinkedIn user argued that it was unrealistic to expect everyone to verify every article before sharing it.
In its official statement, TJC refuted the government’s claims, stating that their posts were not spreading false information and felt the government’s interpretation of their content was inaccurate.
