Global crackdown on fake news raises censorship concerns | Media | The Guardian

In a world where false and misleading information reaches billions instantly and online manipulation is becoming ever more sophisticated, governments are increasingly turning to legislation to combat fake news. 

But unlike, say, hate speech, terrorism advocacy or child pornography, fake news is a tricky area for the law: it has not, generally, been illegal – and in democracies, political speech is seen as deserving the strongest of free speech protections.

Lawyers, technology experts, media representatives and free speech campaigners have expressed fears that hastily drawn-up domestic measures outlawing fake news may at best prove ineffective, and at worst counterproductive.