ANKARA: Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday began debating a highly controversial draft law the government says is aimed at combating fake news and disinformation, but which critics denounce as yet another attempt to stifle freedom of expression.
The 40-article piece of legislation amends multiple laws governing press, advertising and social media. The most controversial change is an amendment to the press law that would criminalize the spreading of “fake news” with a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Critics, including opposition lawmakers and non-governmental organizations, say the law is too vague and could potentially be abused by the government to further crack down on independent journalism, especially media that has developed on the Internet. The government already controls most major news outlets and has been named among the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.
Representatives of various Turkish journalists’ associations, wearing black face masks, gathered outside parliament in Ankara, urging legislators not to approve the law, which was submitted to parliament in May.
“As journalists, in line with our responsibility to society, we once again warn both legislators and the public: If this law is implemented in this form, there will be no freedom of press, expression and communication in our country,” said Kemal Aktas, head of the Parliamentary Correspondents’ Association.
Main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu claimed in a speech on Tuesday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which faces elections in June, introduced the changes to prevent the dissemination of allegations of corruption against the government.
In the assembly, some opposition legislators held up posters that read: “No to the censorship law!”
“With the government’s proposal, press freedoms and freedom of speech are being eradicated,” said Musavat Dervisoglu, a legislator from the opposition center-right Good Party. “Our citizens are being deprived of their right to information.”
“I am curious, for what reason is our country being dragged into George Orwell’s ‘1984’ dystopia,” he said, in reference to the 1949 novel in which the government controls information.
International media freedom organizations have also called for the dismissal of the bill, saying it puts millions of Internet users at risk of criminal action for online posts the government disagrees with, could become a tool “for harassing journalists and activists” and could lead to self-censorship.
“Disinformation is an important issue and needs to be combated but not at the price of restricting journalists’ rights and the public’s rights of freedom of expression,” the groups, including PEN and the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in June.
Article 29 of the bill is an amendment to the Turkish penal code mandating one to three years in prison for spreading information that is “contrary to the truth” about Turkey’s domestic and international security, public order and health for the alleged purpose of causing “public worry, fear and panic.” The sentence can be increased by a half if that crime is committed by an anonymous user or as part of an illegal organization.
Erdogan has argued for a law to combat disinformation, saying fake news and rising “digital fascism” is a national and global security issue.
The proposal, put forth by his ruling Justice and Development Party and its nationalist ally, says fake news and its dissemination, or disinformation, pose a “serious threat” by preventing people from accessing the truth, while also undermining freedom of expression and information by “abusing certain freedoms.”
The proposal also says the Internet allows ill-intentioned users to hide their identities for illegal acts and posts such as slander, hate speech and discrimination, therefore requiring regulation. It says the state has the obligation to protect rights and freedoms, especially for people whose rights were violated online.
Ahmet Ozdemir, a legislator from Erdogan’s party who helped draft the legislation, rejected accusations that the proposed changes amount to censorship.
“No freedom can be without limits,” Ozdemir told parliament. “We tried to protect freedoms as much as possible by taking precautions to prevent these freedoms from harming other people’s freedoms.”
Turkish journalist groups slam bill to fight disinformation
https://arab.news/vb6pp
Turkish journalist groups slam bill to fight disinformation
- Turkey is debating a controversial draft law the government says is aimed at combating fake news and disinformation
- Critics believe that the law is yet another attempt to stifle freedom of expression
PHD MENA appoints Christian Fedorczuk as new CEO
- Appointment marks Fedorczuk’s return to Omnicom Media Group after nearly 15 years
DUBAI: Media network Omnicom Media Group Middle East & North Africa has named Christian Fedorczuk CEO of its media agency PHD.
Fedorczuk has over two decades of global experience in the media and creative industries across agency networks such as IPG, dentsu and Omnicom Media Group in London, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Dubai.
The appointment marks his return to Omnicom Media Group and the MENA region having served as the network’s group director for strategy and development from 2007 to 2010.
Fedorczuk’s latest stint was as co-founder of creative studio Acumen in Tokyo, which services clients such as adidas, Red Bull, LVMH, Nike, Netflix and Apple.
Elda Choucair, CEO of Omnicom Media Group, said: “Christian is such a multi-faceted individual, structured and innovative in equal measures, well-travelled and a people person, he will fit perfectly at PHD, where effectiveness and creativity live in perfect harmony.
“I have been looking for the opportunity to bring him back and I am delighted to have now found it.”
Egyptian YouTuber Ahmed AbouZaid detained on illegal currency trading charges
- AbouZaid arrested shortly after being shortlisted for an award at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai
- It is alleged authorities used the YouTuber’s withdrawal of a large sum of money as a pretext for his arrest
LONDON: Egyptian YouTuber Ahmed AbouZaid, whose channel is known for its educational content, has been detained by authorities on accusations of illegal currency trading.
AbouZaid, whose popular YouTube channel Droos Online has 8.65 million subscribers, was arrested last week at his home in the Gharbia Governorate after withdrawing a large sum of cash from his personal bank account, according to sources close to the matter.
The arrest came just days after he was shortlisted for an award at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.
Egyptian authorities initially detained AbouZaid for four days pending an investigation.
After an appeal by his defense team, his detention was extended for another 15 days.
On Jan. 13, a court confirmed the detention and referred him to the criminal court for trial.
A source close to AbouZaid accused Egyptian authorities of fabricating the charges, claiming that his withdrawal of a significant amount of money was used as a pretext for the arrest.
“YouTube revenues are the main source of income for Ahmed,” the source said, adding that all financial transactions were conducted through Egyptian banks.
AbouZaid, who previously worked as a “civil engineer dodging scorpions in the Arabian desert,” became a full-time YouTuber in 2017 after realizing he was earning more from his online platform than from his day job.
He creates educational content, including simplified English language courses, life management advice, and tips for achieving practical success, making him one of the most followed content creators in Egypt.
Pro-Palestinian group to proceed with London march despite ‘discriminatory’ police ban
- Met Police have upheld a ban on Jan. 18 rally despite Palestinian Solidarity Campaign proposing alternative route
- Group rejects claim that supporters encouraged people to defy police-imposed conditions
LONDON: The organizers of a planned pro-Palestine demonstration outside the BBC’s London headquarters have labeled a police decision to block the march as “discriminatory” and announced their intention to proceed with the event on Jan. 18.
The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, which is organizing the march, made the announcement on Tuesday following a meeting with London’s Metropolitan Police.
In a statement, the group accused the authorities of deliberately seeking to prevent their protest outside the BBC. “The police have made abundantly clear that the real aim is to block us from protesting at the BBC under any circumstances,” the PSC said.
The Met had previously announced its decision to ban the march, citing security concerns after consultations with local business owners and religious leaders who raised objections to the demonstration’s proximity to a synagogue.
The PSC has repeatedly denied that its marches — which are regularly attended by Jewish groups — pose any threat to the Jewish community.
The Metropolitan Police are attempting to block our protest at the BBC.
— Palestine Solidarity Campaign (@PSCupdates) January 14, 2025
This attack on our right to protest is discriminatory and anti-democratic.
Despite this, #WeWillMarch.
Join us at 12PM on Saturday 18 January at Whitehall. pic.twitter.com/orGHbKpC7a
To address the police’s concerns, the PSC proposed reversing the original route, and suggested that the march begin at Whitehall and avoid the synagogue’s Shabbat service, which ends at 1 p.m., before finishing at Portland Place.
However, the group said that police rejected the proposal and instead introduced “new and dubious justifications” for the ban. The PSC also accused authorities of falsely claiming that “influential supporters and organizers” of the march had encouraged attendees to defy police-imposed conditions.
Over the weekend, hundreds of political, cultural and social figures voiced their support for the right to demonstrate in solidarity with Palestine.
A letter organized by a Jewish bloc that regularly takes part in pro-Palestine marches gathered more than 700 signatures from members of the Jewish community.
The PSC said its protest is rooted in frustration over “the complicity of the BBC, which has failed to report the facts of this genocide,” adding that the police have “no legitimate grounds” to block the march.
It remains unclear how the situation will unfold on Saturday or whether an agreement will be reached to avoid potential disruption or police intervention.
In a statement to Arab News on Wednesday, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said that there were no updates, highlighting that the police’s position “still stands” based on earlier statements.
PSC media officer Bhavesh Hindocha described the situation as “fluid,” adding that changes could occur up to the day of the march.
“We intend to march from Whitehall towards the BBC, as close as we can depending on police conditions,” he said.
TikTok calls report of possible sale to Musk’s X ‘pure fiction’
- Rumors circulated Monday that TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, is considering selling the platform’s US operations to Elon Musk’s social media platform, X
- Congress legislation could force TikTok to divest its US operations, requiring its parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the platform or shut it down
NEW YORK: TikTok on Tuesday labeled as “pure fiction” a report that China is exploring a potential sale of the video-sharing platform’s US operations to billionaire Elon Musk as the firm faces an American law requiring imminent Chinese divestment.
Citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News had earlier reported that Chinese officials were considering selling the company’s US operations to Musk’s social media platform X.
The report outlined one scenario being discussed in Beijing where X would purchase TikTok from Chinese owner ByteDance and combine it with the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“We cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction,” a TikTok spokesperson told AFP.
The report estimated the value of TikTok’s US operations at between $40 billion and $50 billion.
Although Musk is currently ranked as the world’s wealthiest person, Bloomberg said it was not clear how Musk could execute the transaction, or if he would need to sell other assets.
The US Congress passed a law last year that requires ByteDance to either sell its wildly popular platform or shut it down. It goes into effect on Sunday — a day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
The US government alleges TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users and is a conduit to spread propaganda. China and ByteDance strongly deny the claims.
TikTok has challenged the law, taking an appeal all the way to the US Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on Friday.
At the hearing, a majority of the conservative and liberal justices on the nine-member bench appeared skeptical of arguments by a lawyer for TikTok that forcing a sale was a violation of First Amendment free speech rights.
Bloomberg characterized Beijing’s consideration of a possible Musk transaction as “still preliminary,” noting that Chinese officials have yet to reach a consensus on how to proceed.
Musk is a close ally of Trump and is expected to play an influential role in Washington in the coming four years.
He also runs electric car company Tesla, which has a major factory in China and counts the country as one of the automaker’s biggest markets.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to enact new tariffs on Chinese goods, which would expand a trade war begun in his first term and which was largely upheld, and in some cases supplemented, by outgoing President Joe Biden.
Indonesia plans minimum age for social media use
- Minister Meutya Hafid said plans will “protect children in digital space,” did not specify minimum age
JAKARTA: Indonesia plans to issue a regulation to set a minimum age for users of social media, a move aimed at protecting children, its communications minister has said.
The plans follows Australia’s decision to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, with fines for tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok if they failed to prevent children accessing their platforms.
Minister Meutya Hafid did not say what the minimum age would be in Indonesia. Her remarks, made late on Monday, came after Meutya discussed the plan with President Prabowo Subianto.
“We discussed how to protect children in digital space,” she said in a video uploaded on the YouTube channel of the president’s office.
“The president said to carry on with this plan. He is very supportive on how this kind of child protection will be done in our digital space,” she said.
Internet penetration in Indonesia, a country of about 280 million people, reached 79.5 percent last year, according to a survey of 8,700 people by the Indonesia Internet service providers’ association.
The survey showed 48 percent of children under 12 had access to the Internet, with some respondents of that age group using Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The survey showed Internet penetration was 87 percent among “Gen Z” users, or those age 12 to 27.
