ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s parliament on Thursday adopted a law proposed by President Tayyip Erdogan’s party that would jail journalists and social media users for up to three years for spreading “disinformation”, despite deep concerns over free speech.
The law, which still needs to be approved by the president, would also make social media companies pass on details on anyone who spreads false information, and appoint local representatives to handle the removal of content when required.
Erdogan’s government says it is needed to tackle the “serious threat” from disinformation, while critics say it will crack down further on dissent.
Here are some details of the “Law on Amending the Press Law”:
JAIL SENTENCES
The law’s Article 29 says anyone “who publicly disseminates false information about the country’s domestic and foreign security, public order and general health, with the sole aim of creating anxiety, fear or panic among the public” will face one to three years in jail.
The Venice Commission, which advises the Council of Europe rights watchdog, said it was particularly concerned about consequences the new jailing powers would have – “namely the chilling effect and increased self-censorship”.
The draft also includes requirements for social media companies to appoint Turkish representatives to handle requests related to content removal, and a new committee that handles press cards and accreditation.
A prosecutor will be able to sue social media users who spread news and information deemed problematic.
The law proposes increasing prison sentences by half if perpetrators conceal their true identity or act “within the framework of the activity of an organisation”.
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS
Social media networks are expected to appoint representatives who reside in Turkey and provide personal information on anyone who breaches the law, including anyone who disseminates misleading information and harms state unity.
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority can ban a social network from receiving advertising for up to six months if the network does not provide requested information.
Social media networks that do not cooperate face sharp reductions in their internet traffic bandwidth.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
