
HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong government is considering a law targeting "fake news" that would allow authorities to demand retractions or corrections from news organizations, a move seen as an attempt to further stifle press freedom.
John Lee Ka-chiu, Hong Kong's chief secretary for administration, and the territory's security secretary, Chris Tang Ping-keung, are pushing the effort, citing the mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. Both men insist that unverified information circulated online fueled hatred toward police and divided society during the protests that rocked the city.