Citizen Journalist
Lao government authorities have announced the creation of a task force set up to monitor social media use, focusing especially on so-called fake news and postings criticizing the government or ruling communist party, sources in the country say.
The task force will include police officers and members of the government’s Media Department, an official from the Lao Ministry of Public Security told RFA on May 26, five days after the task force was formally announced.
“Our job is to give advice and to lay out the rules and punishments for those who misuse social media,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’ll give a warning to first-time offenders, and then fine people for a second offence.”