Has Michigan begun arresting people for posting fake news on social media?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Michigan has begun arresting people for posting fake news!
People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that the state of Michigan has begun arresting people for posting fake news on social media!
Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Michigan Begins Arresting Residents Who Post ‘Misleading’ Content on Social Media
The state of Michigan has ordered residents to report neighbors who post ‘misleading’ content online, so that police can arrest offenders to stop the spread of ‘election misinformation’.
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Truth : Michigan is not arresting people for posting fake news!
This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Michigan is not arresting people for posting general fake news
Let me start by pointing out that Michigan has not begun arresting people for posting general misinformation or fake news on social media, and neither is it planning to arrest people who choose to do that.
If that actually happened, it would have been reportedly widely by the mainstream media. Yet, there has been no legitimate news report on such arrests, and there has been no outrage about the infringement of free speech. That’s because it was all made up!
Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article did not provide any evidence that Michigan is actually arresting people for posting general misinformation or fake news on social media. In fact, the words “arresting” and “arrest” only appear once in its title and lede respectively, but nowhere else in the rest of the article!
Fact #2 : Secretary Benson only asked people to report election misinformation
On May 8, 2024, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson warned the public about the dangers of election misinformation, just six months before the 2024 Presidential election.
We know 2024 is going to be a noisy year for us in Michigan because the path to the presidency runs right through our state.
She reminded people that political campaign ads that use AI must be clearly marked, and it is illegal for anyone to use AI-generated photos or videos to purposefully mislead the public. Then she called on people to report [election] misinformation when they see it.
When you find misinformation or if you see something questionable, of course, don’t share it, but please expose it. Please report it.
At no point in time did she ever threaten to arrest people who post fake news on social media. She only asked people to report election misinformation. Now, why would anyone be opposed to reporting election misinformation?
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Fact #3 : Michigan has long had laws against election interference
While free speech is protected in the United States, election interference is not. Hence, it is illegal to spread misleading or false information that can interfere with elections in Michigan, or any other state.
In Michigan, the Michigan Election Law (Act 116 of 1954) includes provisions related to election integrity and criminal penalties for various types of election-related fraud. For example, Section 168.931 makes it illegal to wilfully or knowingly create or provide false information with the intent to deceive people about the election process, or to change the outcome of elections.
So yes, it is possible for people in Michigan to get arrested for creating or spreading fake news or misinformation to mislead people about the election process, or to influence any election outcome. However, as you can tell – this law isn’t new. It has been in effect since 1954.
Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News
The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.
Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
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