S’pore will use Fica and Pofma if there is social media manipulation during GE: Sun Xueling

The Republic will bring its foreign interference and fake news laws to bear in the event of social media manipulation in the upcoming general election, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xue­ling.

She told Parliament on Feb 5 that the Government is aware that algorithms on social media platforms can be used to skew information that users see.

If these algorithms are deliberately manipulated by foreign people or entities – including social media companies – to affect domestic politics, this will constitute foreign interference, she added.

The Government will be able to use measures under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica) against such interference, particularly against hostile information campaigns to influence Singapore’s elections.

Ms Sun added that if falsehoods against the public interest are communicated online during an election period, the Government may also issue directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma), requiring the facts be published as well.

She also said all online election advertising during the GE period must abide by the relevant rules and that the Returning Officer can direct social media platforms to disable access to or remove any online election advertising that violates these rules.

Ms Sun was responding to a question from Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) on whether the Government has assessed the potential impact of a foreign-based social media platform manipulating its algorithms to privilege or disadvantage the social media reach of a particular candidate or group of candidates during a general election period or the run-up period.

Dr Tan also asked whether existing laws such as Pofma and Fica are adequate to address this.

This comes as Singapore gears up for a general election which must be held by November 2025 and is widely expected to be held in the first half of the year.

In October 2024, the Republic also­ passed a law to bar deepfakes and other digitally manipulated content of candidates during the election period to provide an additional safeguard against misinformation.

In her response, Ms Sun added that the Government will engage social media companies ahead of the upcoming general election to remind them to comply with applicable laws, especially those concerning foreign interference.

Ms Sun was also asked by the Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) how the Government will independently ascertain whether these algorithms have been manipulated.

In response, Ms Sun said that if the minister is satisfied they have been used by foreign entities with political ends in mind to influence Singapore’s politics, then he will be empowered to use pre-emptive measures.

Ms Sun added that the Government is open to working with academics and social media companies ahead of the GE to assess the “evolving threat landscape”. She cited examples in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, where studies have found that voters in certain constituencies were fed fake videos by social media algorithms during elections.

She said: “My ministry will be open to these engagements to understand further as to what other steps can be taken.”

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