Turkey’s New Media Law Criticized by Free-Speech Advocates

ISTANBUL—Turkey’s parliament passed a law criminalizing the spread of alleged disinformation and forcing social-media platforms such as WhatsApp to hand over users’ personal information, raising alarm among free-speech advocates.

Turkish journalists and media watchdogs say the legislation, passed late Thursday, will have a chilling effect on speech in the run up to Turkey’s national election scheduled for next year. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at risk of defeat in the election partly due to Turkey’s struggling economy.