States Times Review. How do we even start with that publication?
The website has been in the authorities’ crosshairs for years; and when POFMA came, shots were fired.
In November, it wrote that a person was arrested after a Facebook Page, Nussu-NUS Students United (NSU), revealed the religious affiliation of People’s Action Party member. POFMA fired its first shot, claiming that no one has been arrested, but the editor of States Time Review refused to do a correction.
Facebook had to include this line in States Times Review’s Facebook Post: “Facebook is legally required to tell you that the Singapore government says this post has false information.”
Then COVID-19 came, and States Times Review claimed that Singapore has run out of masks. Once again, the same thing happened: States Times Review did not want to go to court to challenge the correction order, and did not do the correction order, too.
Yesterday, POFMA struck again, this time on a series of allegations that States Times Review has made, like how “China worker” are getting $100 per day for their 14-day LOA lah, 7 countries banning travel to Singapore lah and whatnot.
The Government refuted all the allegations, which you can read here, and the POFMA office issues its third correction direction to the publication.
And three strikes, you’re out.
States Times Review Facebook Page as a Declared Online Location: Here’s What That Means
Lest you’re not aware, States Times Review is run by Alex Tan, a Singaporean based in Australia. States Times Review isn’t his first publication; he’s also the co-founder of the defunct The Real Singapore. And the guy’s so anti-establishment, he even ran as an opposition in the 2011 General Election with the Reform Party.
Over the years, the publication has clashed with the authorities numerous times, and despite multiple claims that it’ll be shutting down by itself, it’s still active.
And now, after ignoring three correction directions by POFMA, it’s now granted a new status: Declared Online Location.
Reader Bao: Wah, sounds goody leh. So now the publication can declare online locations liao ah? Declare liao will huat?
I’ve no idea which genius came out with this name, but it’s actually not a goody thing.
According to the POFMA website, it’s an online location that “have carried three or more different online falsehoods which are the subject of active Directions issued by POFMA Office under Ministerial instruction within a period of 6 months, prior to the Declaration.”
So, in other words, if you anyhowly write anything and kena struck three times, you’ll be in this registry.
And in the registry, there’s only one page so far:
Yes, it’s the Facebook Page that kena, not the website itself. Yet.
As mentioned by POFMA, websites in the Declared Online Location will not be allowed to profit from spreading falsehoods in Singapore.
Well, you can’t earn money from Facebook anyways, so it might not affect Alex Tan.
Reader Bao: Eh, but I see your Facebook videos got ads one leh. Then sometimes your articles if come from Facebook is those instant article thingy, then that one I also—
Aiya, that one different lah. That one not easy to get in one, need approval one, so STR most likely not in the program.
Reader Bao: Did you just humblebrag?
No, but anyways.
The States Times Review website is, by the way, filled with numerous programmatic advertisements. A check on its codes shows that most, if not all, the ads are Google ads, though it’s unclear if they have served the ads direct from Google or through a managed ad partner.
Nevertheless, let this be a lesson to anyone who’s reading this: don’t anyhowly spread fake news because Ah Gong’s watching.
