Singapore Cracks Down on Fake News: 40 Social Media Posts Targeted Over Drug Trafficking Misleading Claims

SINGAPORE – In a significant enforcement of its stringent fake news legislation, the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued targeted correction directions to tech giant Meta. This move follows the dissemination of false claims regarding drug trafficking and executions shared on social media platforms by an activist group known as the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC).

On November 5, the MHA made it clear that they have identified 10 misleading posts on Facebook and 30 on Instagram, which were circulated by individuals who re-shared TJC's content on October 23 and 24. The activist group advocates for the abolition of the death penalty and has come under scrutiny for propagating misinformation related to the scheduling of executions and prosecution processes for drug offenders in Singapore.

As mandated under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma), TJC was instructed to include a correction notice on their posts, confirming that those posts contained falsehoods. The group complied with this directive by October 6.

The MHA stated that individuals who shared the TJC posts knowingly communicated inaccuracies, thereby violating the law. Consequently, they directed the Pofma Office to alert Meta about the posts, requiring the company to inform users who encountered the misinformation. Users will now receive a notification indicating that the posts contain false statements, along with a link to the government’s clarification titled "Corrections regarding false statements concerning legal processes for prisoners awaiting capital punishment and the prosecution of drug trafficking charges."

The government’s clarification outlines the false claims and factual information, allowing the public to independently assess the truth without requiring the removal of the original posts. MHA emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “Readers can read both the original posts and the facts, and decide for themselves what is the truth.”

This crackdown comes in the wake of a specific case involving Kokila Annamalai, a 36-year-old anti-death penalty activist, who has faced investigation by the Pofma Office for ignoring a correction notice. Despite receiving multiple reminders, she refused to comply with the directives issued on October 5. Annamalai did not challenge the correction order in court, despite her legal right to do so, raising further questions about accountability and the spreading of misinformation.

Failure to comply with a Pofma correction direction can result in severe penalties, including fines of up to $20,000 and imprisonment for up to one year, while those convicted of sharing false statements may face up to $50,000 in fines and imprisonment for up to five years.

This incident highlights Singapore's strict approach to regulating online misinformation, particularly when it intersects with critical social issues such as capital punishment and drug trafficking. As the nation continues to grapple with these challenging topics, vigilance against misinformation will be essential in fostering informed public discourse.