The news media are not the only ones concerned. the text also targets social networks and websites, which will be asked to denounce and deliver the personal information of their users accused of spreading “fake news”.
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The opposition denounces a “censorship law”. Turkey’s parliament passed a disinformation law Thursday, October 13, providing up to three years in prison for disclosure “false or misleading information”.
In addition to newspapers, radios and televisions, the text targets social networks and websites, which will be asked to denounce and deliver the personal information of their users accused of spreading “fake news”. Article 29, in particular, provides for prison terms of one to three years for “spreading false or misleading information contrary to the internal and external security of the country, and likely to harm public health, disturb public order, spread fear or panic among the population”.
Debated since the beginning of October, the 40 articles of the text, officially called “press law”, have been the subject of numerous amendments tabled in vain by the opposition.
This text was tabled in May by the deputies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will seek a new mandate in June 2023. In December 2021 the Head of State estimated that the networks first perceived as a symbol of freedom, were “have become one of the main threats to democracy”.
The bill has raised a lot of concerns in journalistic circles and human rights organizations. A dozen journalists’ associations and unions, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced the text as an attempt at censorship by the government.
According to RSF’s ranking, Turkey ranks 149th out of 180 countries in terms of freedom of information. Before the law was passed, the Council of Europe had denounced a “hinder” freedom of expression guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.