consistent with
George's analysis, authorities last week relaxed
past regulations that limited the use of the
Internet and social media for election
campaigning. Political parties and candidates will
be allowed to use a broader range of new media
platforms, including blogs, micro-blogs, online
photo-sharing platforms, social networking sites
and electronic media applications used on mobile
phones, for election advertising. The
loosening, however, only applies for political
party-run websites, chat rooms and online
discussion forums. Candidates must declare the new
media content they intend to use within 12 hours
after the start of the election campaign period.
George warned in a recent blog entry that the new
declaration requirements could open the way for
PAP-led defamation suits against new media using
opposition politicians. PAP leaders have
historically relied on expensive litigation to
suppress opposition and media criticism.
"The PAP won't subject everyone's postings
to legal scrutiny. But if it decides that a
particular opposition politician needs to be
utterly demolished, you can bet that no tweet of
his would be too tiny, no Facebook update too
fleeting ... in order a build the case against the
individual," George warned in a journalism blog.