In MY OPINION

Under the draft Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill the ministers will be given the power to decide what is false and to order actions. Upon the 'advice' of civil servants, the respective minister decides if a statement is false and whether actions need to be taken to safeguard public interest. The line of actions can include making a correct statement alongside the false content, ordering statement to be taken down, order tech companies to block certain sites or accounts or instruct a police investigation if malicious intent is detected. Of course there is also a recourse for appeal to minister or court for the aggrieved party.

To assure people that freedom of speech is still intact the government says the proposed law deals with statements of fact and not OPINION.

Now I must warn my husband because ever so often he gets his facts all confused and makes a statement which is not really factual and is more of his imagination. Often when I grill him he will admit that is what he thinks. Thus I often tell him he must preclude his statement with "IN MY OPINION" or "I THINK AH..."

So I was just thinking out aloud of the 20 year old lad who expressed that he wanted to throw an egg at a certain minister. If he had said on facebook " IN MY OPINION the minister deserves an online egg " will he be absolved?

Now I also ask myself why am I so frustrated with people who bullshit. I deduce it to my laziness to think twice or analyze what is being said. I don't realise that if I am so easily MISLED it is because I am not curious enough to find out the truth and just want to be spoon fed. (Don't go there I am going to blame the system again!).

Now back to MY OPINION on the draft bill: I WORRY about
- over reliance on a benevolent government with absolute power (never say never, like any great dynasty a government can also deteriorate over time)
- developing a habit in netizens of needing to be told what is true or not
- the poor ministers, they can always tell what is true or not true meh? Is everything in life just black or white, no grey area or ambiguity? Will their judgement not be tinted by conditions, upbringing, values etc etc?

Maybe those movies on Stasi (East German secret police ) and the KGB stir my imagination but I just fear such dark era descending on us.

总而言之 I don't feel good about this (opinion ok?)