The surfeit of misinformation online during the pandemic has prompted some governments to implement extraordinary measures in an attempt to establish control amid the chaos. Criminalizing the dissemination of “false news,” expanding existing penalties for spreading misinformation, and increasing surveillance are among the actions some authorities have taken. Human rights and media observers warn that such remedies are worse than the problem they seek to alleviate, and that freedom of expression, privacy and the right to protest are disintegrating under the pretext of safeguarding public health.
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Source: ‘Fake news’ laws, privacy & free speech on trial: Government overreach in the infodemic?