Could Malaysia prosecute Wikipedians?

[Poetlister]

IF THE bill that the lower house of Malaysia’s parliament passed on April 2nd becomes law, those who publish or spread “any news, information, data and reports which is, or are, wholly or partly false” are liable to six years in prison and a fine of 500,000 ringgit ($130,000).

The Economist

What would be the implications of such laws on Wikipedia editors? Saying that an article is well sourced is no defence, since it would be spreading the information in the sources. Of course, one problem is who decides what is false.

[Kumioko]

I guess one question to ask is how many active editors are there from malaysia. Another question to ask is does this apply solely to Malaysians? Does it apply to anyone within Malaysian borders and could Malaysia try someone outside their borders in Absentia for editing a Malysian topic they consider to be false?

I know there are a couple lawyers who are members here, maybe one of them could weigh in on the ramifications of this new piece of legislation.

[Poetlister]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

[Kumioko]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

[Ming]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

Ming doesn't see how your animus against them gives you some special insight.

[Kumioko]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

Ming doesn't see how your animus against them gives you some special insight.

I have never once seen the WMF protect an editor, have you? I have however seen them bully, block, ban and belittle them.

[Anroth]

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: Yes but unless the wikipedians are in Malaysia no one is going to give a damn.

[MadManz]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

Ming doesn't see how your animus against them gives you some special insight.

I have never once seen the WMF protect an editor, have you? I have however seen them bully, block, ban and belittle them.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? ... ley%202001

If you check her en.wikipedia talk page's history, it's obvious this lock was out of protection for her (which is even more vital here as said user is a minor).

[AndyTheGrump]

I have never once seen the WMF protect an editor, have you?

Yes.

[Kumioko]

I have never once seen the WMF protect an editor, have you?

Yes.

Well then that's great but IMO it's still an outlier and not a standard.

[AndyTheGrump]

Personally, I prefer to base my opinions on actual evidence.

[Randy from Boise]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

I was bumping around close to being dragged into a (frivolous) Wikipedia-related lawsuit and had dealings with the WP legal department. I hold them in pretty high esteem — which is not to say they'd go to the mat for anybody for anything. But there is at least some measure of protection for good faith editors, I think.


tim

[Johnny Au]

Meanwhile, a large number of Wikipedia articles (including general reference articles, not just pop culture articles) reference fictional works banned in Malaysia (either currently or formerly for at least one decade).

If you want to know which works are currently or formerly banned there, see List of films banned in Malaysia (T-H-L) (the list isn't short)

[AndyTheGrump]

Meanwhile, a large number of Wikipedia articles (including general reference articles, not just pop culture articles) reference fictional works banned in Malaysia (either currently or formerly for at least one decade).

If you want to know which works are currently or formerly banned there, see List of films banned in Malaysia (T-H-L) (the list isn't short)

If I wanted to know that, I'd find a better source than a Wikipedia article citing the 'list of bests' website.

[Midsize Jake]

Apparently, back in 2006 Malaysian authorities were considering the expansion of their highly-restrictive Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (T-H-L) to include electronic media publishers. Nothing seems to have come of it at the time, but maybe now they're finally getting around to trying again?

I suppose there's some potential for this to turn into something like the Turkish situation if there's something on WP they really don't like and aren't allowed to remove, but I doubt it will actually come to that. If Malaysia were in the Middle East, maybe, but since they're not...

It occurs to me that it would help if someone did an international survey of how the word "publisher" is defined under law in various countries with respect to website operators - but the results would also be pretty depressing, I suspect. Which is to say that in most countries it probably isn't clearly defined at all in that context, just as it isn't here in the United States - which means these things are usually decided by judges, based on easily-overturned case law, and you can't be sure of what the definition is from one year to the next. If that's changing (as it might be in Malaysia), then it's probably going to change for the worse, and no doubt we have the Russians to thank for that.

[Poetlister]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

If a court in the US issued an injunction, they'd obey like greased lightning. They'd take at least some notice of courts in major countries. Malaysia maybe not so much - it's extra work and what's in it for them?

I can't see Katherine doing very much for only $20.

[Kumioko]

The only thing she cares about is donation dollars, believe me, if they cut her a check, maybe more than $20 I grant you, she would give them whatever they want.

In fact I bet if I was a millionaire and could afford to cut a check for a million dollars, they would unblock my account this afternoon.

[Anroth]

Thre is of course a Malay language wikipedia; it currently has 384 active users. Another good question is whether the WMF would collaborate with the Malay authorities to identify an editor breaking that law.

I think the WMF would throw an editor to the wolves without hesitation. Anyone who trusts them is kidding themselves. If they gave Katherine Meyer $20 she would probably delete the whole malay wikipedia for them.

If a court in the US issued an injunction, they'd obey like greased lightning. They'd take at least some notice of courts in major countries. Malaysia maybe not so much - it's extra work and what's in it for them?

I can't see Katherine doing very much for only $20.

They also have in the German courts.