Petaling Jaya, 12th July 2023 - “I didn’t know” is not a good enough reason to defend oneself after mindlessly forwarding false posts online, says legal expert Datuk Emeritus Professor Dr. Hj . Shad Saleem Faruqi.
He said although, in most cases, the “forwarders” would use the excuse of saying they had no intention of spreading fake information, such an act would still be seen as a crime.
Professor Dr. Hj . Shad explained that in the defamation law, “I didn''t know” cannot be used as a defence.
“You can''t say ‘Oh, sorry, I didn''t know'' because we all know that we must always check the information given to us. Verify them first.
“And you can't say you did not intend to cause harm because you intended to share the unverified information that sounded controversial.
“(Forwarding fake posts) would be a crime because even forwarding would likely hurt someone else,” he said.
Professor Dr. Hj . Shad, also a law professor, suggested that social media platform owners adopt a better and stricter verification method before allowing a person to post online.
“The media has this system in place. For example, if you want a media outlet to publish your opinion, your identity must be properly verified.
“Social media platforms should not allow people to post anonymously and upload anything they like.
“Will social media platform owners do this? I believe it''s necessary so people can''t defecate in cyberspace.”
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The Star's article attached.
