Malaysian news site fined $124,000 for reader comments
 

Malaysiakini’s co-founder avoided jail time

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/22/2...ents-judiciary

A Malaysian news site was fined the equivalent of nearly $124,000 for five comments below an article. News outlet Malaysiakini has raised money to cover the fee of 500,000 ringgit, but human rights advocates say it was targeted for its reporting on government corruption, and they worry that the case could chill political speech online.

The New York Times reported the verdict on Friday, when a panel of judges found Malaysiakini guilty of contempt of court. The outlet argued that it wasn’t responsible for reader comments, and it removed them after police warned that the comments illegally insulted Malaysia’s judiciary. But the court said it should have preemptively moderated the comments and never allowed them online.

Malaysiakini is a prominent independent outlet, and it’s earned international accolades for its reporting over the past two decades. It’s faced periodic legal harassment within the country, though, culminating in the contempt of court charges that were filed last year. Co-founder Steven Gan also faced charges and a possible prison sentence. Gan’s situation was compared to that of Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, whom authorities accused of “cyber libel” after her site Rappler published critical reporting. But unlike Ressa, who was convicted last year, Gan was acquitted of personal charges.

The Times reports that this case was the first of its type brought against a news outlet in Malaysia, and Amnesty International Malaysia called it “a grave setback for freedom of expression in the country.” But Malaysia’s internet crackdown echoes an international push to make sites legally responsible for what users post — including in the United States, where lawmakers have taken aim at a rule offering blanket protection against liability.



https://i.imgflip.com/2br1h4.jpg

In before all y'all.

wow, how long before this kind of thing happens here...

What do you mean when it happens.. What rock you been living under.

Don’t have to worry about it happening here because the media is now part of the corrupt government.

In the US, they just delete it and mark you racist and delete your account. Easy !

Was talking with wifey last night, and frustrated with the left at their apparent lack of understanding that those rights contained in the 1st Amendment is the EXACT reason why we (the colonies) decided to break from King George and England to start our own experiment.
I mean, that one amendment sums up the basis of our desire for freedom from the monarchy. The 2nd amendment merely gives the citizens a means to protect that (as well as the rest of our rights as described in the BoR.)

Their lack of understanding of this basic fact is troubling, and the fact they can so easily dismiss the silencing (canceling) of their opponents is frightening.

The 1st Amendment was number one for a reason.

What happened is life became so easy that those supporting the cancel culture have no reference to what happens when free speech is stifled.