Falsehoods on coronavirus show why Pofma is necessary

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Falsehoods circulating about the coronavirus that originated from Wuhan can cause panic, and they underscore why it is so important for ministers to have tools like the laws against fake news to correct misinformation quickly

a Pofma order can be issued based on the minister's interpretation of the content in question.

"It is my view that the danger of moving too deep into the domain of interpretation is that Pofma risks stifling a frank and healthy exchange of opinion required for a functioning democracy....Why do we have to accept the subjective opinion of the minister as to which is the appropriate comparison?

a fundamental feature of Pofma...is perhaps the only such law in the world that allows for the offending post or article to remain available and accessible online alongside the correction...the Government had initiated only such corrections from the get-go and none of the original posts or articles were deleted, censored, amended or blocked when people complied with the correction orders...this allows people to read the original article or post and compare it with what the Government said about it, then decide for themselves.

long-term, pernicious misinformation was no less damaging than the kind with dramatic impact, and was designed to undermine trust in the Government and institutions, ultimately eroding the practice of democracy.