Feed Malaysia To Set Up Government Agency To Respond To Blogs (techdirt.com)
Over the last few weeks we've been following the hubbub in Malaysia, where some government officials were quite upset with some bloggers leading to at least two bloggers being sued and the possibility of forcing bloggers to register with the government -- a plan that was later rejected. However, now the government has come up with a new plan to deal with what it still calls "lies" being spread online: it will create a special government unit to monitor and respond to what various internet sites are saying. Assuming they identify themselves as working for the government, this sounds like a pretty good idea. Rather than trying to intimidate or force critics offline, take them on with facts. If sites are not telling the truth or even being misleading, respond and explain why. That's the great thing about the internet. You can always counter whatever is being said about you, and it doesn't require the use of any lawyers or lawsuits.