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Singapore unveils new law empowering online safety commission to block harmful content

Singapore will establish a new online safety commission with authority to compel social media platforms and internet providers to block harmful online content, under a bill tabled in parliament on Wednesday.

The proposed law follows research by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in February, which found that more than half of verified user complaints about online harms — including child abuse, cyberbullying, and harassment — were not promptly addressed by major platforms.

The commission, which is expected to be operational by mid-2026, will have powers to order platforms to restrict or remove harmful content, ban perpetrators, and grant victims a right to reply. It will also be able to direct internet service providers to block access to harmful web pages or entire platforms within Singapore.

The new agency will oversee cases of doxxing, stalking, abuse of intimate images, and child exploitation, with further powers to target non-consensual data disclosures and incitement of enmity added in later phases.

The bill will be debated in the next parliamentary session. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said the initiative aims to address the persistent failure of online platforms to act on harmful content. “More often than not, platforms fail to take action to remove genuinely harmful content reported to them by victims,” Teo said.

The move expands Singapore’s regulatory oversight following the Online Criminal Harms Act, which took effect in February 2024. Under that law, the Home Affairs Ministry previously threatened Meta with fines of up to S$1 million ($771,664) for failing to combat impersonation scams on Facebook.

Singapore Threatens Meta With Fines Over Facebook Impersonation Scams

The Singapore government has given Meta Platforms until the end of this month to introduce stronger safeguards, including facial recognition technology, to combat impersonation scams on Facebook—or face steep fines.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said on Thursday that Meta could be fined up to S$1 million ($776,639) if it fails to comply “without reasonable excuse.” After the deadline, Meta would face additional penalties of S$100,000 per day until measures are implemented.

The directive, issued Wednesday, follows a surge in scams involving fake ads, accounts, and business pages impersonating government officials. Authorities say incidents of such scams rose sharply between June 2024 and June 2025.

A Meta spokesperson said impersonation and deceptive ads are against company policy, adding: “We remove these when detected.” The spokesperson noted that Meta uses specialized systems to catch fraudulent accounts and “celeb-bait” ads, and works with law enforcement to pursue legal action against scammers.

Earlier this month, Singapore police ordered Meta to step up anti-scam measures on Facebook, but that directive did not include a compliance deadline.

Officials said this is the first enforcement order under Singapore’s Online Criminal Harms Act, which came into effect in February 2024. The law gives regulators new powers to hold platforms accountable for online scams and harmful digital activity.

“While Meta has taken steps to address impersonation scams globally, including in Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs and police remain concerned by the prevalence of such scams locally,” the ministry said.