Law banning deepfakes of candidates in place for first time in GE2025, among other guidelines: ELD

A new law banning fake or digitally altered online material that misrepresents candidates will be in place for the first time this general election, said the Elections Department (ELD) on April 15.

Announcing campaign guidelines on April 15, ELD said the rules related to online campaigning would protect prospective candidates who have paid their election deposit and consented to their candidature being made public.

“These rules, which will be in place for the first time in GE2025, serve to uphold the truthfulness of representation during an election,” it said in a statement.

The campaigning period will start after nomination proceedings end on Nomination Day, April 23, and run all the way until Cooling-off Day on May 2. Singaporeans will head to the polls on May 3.

The date of the election was announced on April 15, shortly after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, dissolved Singapore’s 14th Parliament.

Here are the guidelines for campaigning as Singapore gears up for the election:

No new banners, flags and posters before campaign period

No new banners, flags and posters that constitute election advertising are allowed to be displayed until the end of nomination proceedings on April 23, said ELD.

Town councils and other organisations may already have visual displays in public spaces – such as banners with messages like “Welcome to (estate name)” – that include the name, image or political party symbol of individuals who could be prospective candidates.

While these are part of regular publicity efforts and not related to elections, they may be mistaken by the public as election advertising, said ELD.

As a result, the display of such materials will be regulated from April 15, said ELD. However, existing banners, flags and posters can remain on display if they meet the following conditions:

• They were lawfully and publicly put up in the constituency before the Writ of Election was issued on April 15;
• They have not been relocated, changed or modified since then; and
• They are declared to the Returning Officer within 12 hours of the writ being issued, if the display items are to be retained as election advertising for the election.

This prohibition also does not apply to banners, flags or posters that are used as permanent location markers. Such material may display only the name, symbol or both of the political party, and must be permanently affixed in the following ways:

• On the exterior wall or window of a building that is occupied by the political party as its office; or
• On an outer wall, fence or other structure marking the boundary of the grounds where the building is located.

Furthermore, these displays must be solely for the purpose of indicating that the political party’s office is located in the building, or to identify the political party’s business or charitable activities carried out there.

The Returning Officer, appointed by PM Wong, has authorised Aetos Security Management to enforce display rules during the election.

Political parties will have three hours to remove any undeclared or non-compliant materials once notified. If they fail to do so, Aetos may be directed to step in, and candidates must bear the removal costs and declare them as part of their election expenses.

Walkabouts and house visits prior to Nomination Day

Walkabouts and house visits are allowed, and do not require a permit from the police if they are conducted for the purpose of meeting residents, said ELD.

However, they must not be explicitly used to show support for or oppose any person, group or government, or to promote any cause or campaign.

Online campaigning

Candidates can campaign online through social media, websites, podcasts and e-mails, according to the rules for Online Election Advertising (OEA) in the Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 and Parliamentary Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations 2024.

This is to ensure transparency and accountability for all advertising, said ELD.

Only political parties, candidates and election agents can publish paid online election ads. Others can publish these advertisements only if they receive written authorisation from a candidate or election agent.

Singapore citizens may post unpaid ads on their own.

A new law under the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) Act, which will be in place for the first time this general election, bans digitally generated or manipulated content that misrepresents a prospective candidate’s speech or actions.

The public can check ELD’s website for the latest list of prospective candidates. This will be updated daily.

“Publishing digitally generated or manipulated OEA that realistically misrepresents a prospective or nominated candidate’s speech or actions is prohibited during the election period,” said ELD.

This includes content created using generative artificial intelligence or other techniques like Photoshop, dubbing or adding new audio over existing footage, and splicing, cutting and joining clips to change their meaning.

Meanwhile, all online advertisements, whether paid or unpaid, have to display the names of all the people who played an active role in publishing them, said ELD.

Paid advertisements have to include a message or statement to indicate that they have been sponsored or paid for, as well as the names of people who paid for them.

Singapore citizens who are not candidates or election agents do not have to abide by these “published-by” rules if they post unpaid OEA in their individual capacity and not at the direction of others, ELD added.

All election advertising has to stop during the Cooling-off Period on May 2 and 3, which are Cooling-off Day and Polling Day. And only OEA published before these days can remain. Resharing, reposting or boosting existing advertisements is also not allowed.

Individuals who are not Singapore citizens are not allowed to take part in any election activity, as well as the publishing or displaying of any election advertising during the election period.

Use of films in campaigning

The use of films in campaigning is subject to the Films Act 1981, which bans the importation, making, reproduction, distribution or exhibition of party political films.

According to the ELD, a party political film is an advertisement made by or on behalf of any political party in Singapore or “any body whose objects relate wholly or mainly to politics in Singapore”.

Films “directed towards any political end in Singapore” also fall into this category.

“The prohibition applies to all persons and is meant to keep politics objective and rational,” ELD said.

But there are some exceptions to the rule.

Films that are “factual and objective” and that “do not present a distorted picture of facts” are allowed, ELD said.

Some exceptions also include:

• Live recordings of any performance, assembly of people or procession that is held in accordance with the law and that do not depict any event, person or situation in a dramatic way;
• Films without animation and dramatic elements, made by or on behalf of a political party or candidate, and composed wholly of the party’s or candidate’s manifesto or the policy or ideology on which the party’s authorised candidates will seek to be elected to Parliament;
• Films designed to provide a record of an event or occasion that is held in accordance with the law for those who took part in the event or occasion; and
• Films made solely for the purpose of reporting of news by a licensed broadcasting service.

Publication of election surveys and exit polls

The publication of results of election surveys, exit polls or content purporting to be the results of an election survey are not allowed from the issuance of the Writ of Election until the close of polling on Polling Day.

During this period, the public should not create surveys or polls on social media platforms, online forums, messaging services or websites where the results can be viewed.

Doing so will be considered a breach, ELD said. Reposting the results of an election survey is also not allowed.

An election survey is an opinion survey of how voters will vote in an election, or of the preferences of voters regarding candidates or any issue with which an identifiable candidate is associated at an election.

An exit poll is any statement on how voters have voted in an election or a forecast on the result of the election, where the statement or forecast is based on information from voters after they have voted.

No foreign interference, negative campaigning and prohibited persons

Only Singapore citizens can take part in elections and campaigning, and candidates must avoid “becoming vectors or victims” of foreign interference, ELD said.

This is because the outcome of Singapore’s elections must be for Singaporeans alone to decide, it added.

Candidates should also not solicit foreign support for their campaign.

Candidates should also be alert to suspicious behaviours and hidden agendas, ELD said, to keep their election campaign free from foreign interference.

ELD also urged candidates, their election agents and their authorised representatives to campaign “in a responsible and dignified manner that befits the seriousness of the election process”. This means steering away from negative campaigning based on hate and denigration of opposing candidates.

They should also not make false statements – such as unfounded allegations of corruption or criminal offences – or statements that may cause racial or religious tensions or affect social cohesion.

Those who are below 16 years of age, or those against whom an order of supervision has been made under section 30(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act 1955, are not allowed to take part in any election activity.

Foreigners and foreign entities are also prohibited from taking part in any election activity.

Campaigning by political parties and civic organisations on behalf of a candidate

By law, any person who conducts activities in support of a candidate must be individually authorised in writing by the candidate or his election agent. 

And before civic, business or professional bodies take part in any political activity, or allow their funds or premises to be used for political purposes, they should ensure that their constitutions allow them to do so. They should also make sure that in doing so, they do not flout any laws that they are subject to, ELD said.

Such political activities include endorsing candidates and publishing advertisements or issuing press statements expressing support for a candidate.

Advertisements or statements that amount to election advertising should comply with the law, ELD said.

Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary.

Gabrielle Chan is a journalist at The Straits Times, and covers everything related to education in Singapore.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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