PNP says PM’s vow to crack down on ‘fake news’ online an assault on democracy

The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) says it strongly condemns Prime Minister Andrew Holness' intent to clamp down on "fake news" on social media, viewing it as a direct threat to free expression and privacy.

Speaking on Saturday at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) youth conference in St Ann, Holness warned of future prosecutions for trigger-happy, online warriors who continue to tarnish the reputations of Jamaicans, especially on popular social media platforms.

He sent the warning to what he called “the entire industry called fake news” and those trying “to trick people to get power”.

READ: Holness vows to crack down on 'fake news' online

“Recently, I became aware of a situation where a young person made a post on social media that bordered on being defamatory, probably libellous. The person was tracked and their identity discovered. Long and short, the person was put up to doing this by another political organisation, and we have been tracking several such cases, where you see some posts being made that border on defamatory or libellous, and when you dig behind, which we have the capabilities to do, and to discover the people behind these accounts, they are young persons being recruited to do this,” Holness said.

However, the PNP says while addressing misinformation is crucial, the Prime Minister's approach dangerously overreaches and undermines democratic principles and constitutional rights.

“Recent alarming statements by government officials, such as former Minister Robert Morgan's claim of accessing IP addresses and Minister Daryl Vaz's threats, clearly indicate an assault on democracy and privacy,” the party asserted.

The Opposition is accusing Holness of selective outrage, “as he ignores 'fake news' spread by his own party members, particularly Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke's violation against the Leader of the Opposition. This blatant double standard exposes the government's inability to enforce policies impartially.”

The PNP is demanding that the government clarify its policy and legal framework, ensuring transparency and accountability.

“All individuals, including government officials, must be held to the same standard to prevent abuse of power.

“The PNP staunchly defends democratic values and constitutional rights. We demand the government reconsider its approach and uphold our nation's fundamental freedoms.”

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