Singapore to Deploy FICA and POFMA Against Social Media Manipulation During General Elections: Sun Xueling

Singapore will deploy its foreign interference and fake news laws to counter any social media manipulation during the upcoming general election, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling announced in Parliament on February 5.

The government has expressed concern about how social media algorithms can be manipulated to influence what information users see. Ms. Sun warned that deliberate manipulation of these algorithms by foreign entities, including social media companies themselves, to affect Singapore’s domestic politics would constitute foreign interference.

“If these algorithms are deliberately manipulated by foreign people or entities with the intention to affect our domestic politics, this will constitute foreign interference,” Ms. Sun said. In such cases, the government would invoke measures under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica), particularly against hostile information campaigns targeting Singapore’s electoral process.

Additionally, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) could be deployed if falsehoods deemed harmful to the public interest circulate online during the election period. Under Pofma, the government can issue directions requiring the publication of facts to correct misinformation.

Ms. Sun emphasized that all online election advertising must comply with relevant electoral rules, with the Returning Officer empowered to direct social media platforms to disable or remove any advertising that violates these regulations.

Her statements came in response to questions from Dr. Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC), who asked about the government’s assessment of potential impacts if foreign-based social media platforms manipulated their algorithms to advantage or disadvantage particular candidates during an election or pre-election period. Dr. Tan also inquired whether existing legislation like Pofma and Fica would be sufficient to address such concerns.

The timing of these discussions is significant as Singapore prepares for a general election that must be held by November 2025, though political observers widely expect it to occur in the first half of the year. These preparations come against a backdrop of growing global concern about digital manipulation in elections.

In October 2024, Singapore further strengthened its electoral safeguards by passing legislation to ban deepfakes and other digitally manipulated content of candidates during the election period, creating an additional layer of protection against misinformation.

Ms. Sun revealed that the government plans to engage with social media companies ahead of the upcoming general election to remind them of their obligations to comply with Singapore’s laws, particularly those addressing foreign interference.

When questioned by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) about how the government would independently determine whether algorithms had been manipulated, Ms. Sun explained that if the relevant minister is satisfied that foreign entities have used algorithms with political objectives to influence Singapore’s politics, pre-emptive measures could be authorized.

The government is also open to collaborating with academics and social media companies to evaluate the “evolving threat landscape” before the general election. Ms. Sun referenced studies from the United Kingdom that revealed voters in certain constituencies were exposed to fake videos through social media algorithms during elections.

“My ministry will be open to these engagements to understand further as to what other steps can be taken,” she said, indicating a willingness to explore additional protective measures as the election approaches.

These developments highlight Singapore’s proactive stance in safeguarding its electoral process against digital manipulation, reflecting a growing global trend of governments implementing measures to protect democratic processes from technological interference.