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14-09-2021, 11:38 AM
Foreign interference poses a serious threat to Singapore’s political sovereignty and national security, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
“During a hostile information campaign, hostile foreign actors can seek to mislead Singaporeans on political issues, stir up dissent and disharmony by playing up controversial issues such as race and religion, or seek to undermine confidence and trust in public institutions,” it said.
For example, when Singapore faced bilateral issues with “another country” in late 2018 and 2019, there was an “abnormal spike” in online comments critical of Singapore on social media, the ministry said.
“These posts, made by anonymous accounts, sought to create an artificial impression of opposition to Singapore’s positions.”
The Government has considered laws against foreign interference from as early as February 2019, when then-Senior Minister of State for Law Edwin Tong referred Parliament to findings from the 2018 Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, which said that foreign state-linked disinformation efforts were likely already occurring in Singapore.
"The Select Committee had recommended that the Government consider measures to address both deliberate online falsehoods and also state-sponsored campaigns that threaten our national security,” Mr Tong said.
The Select Committee findings also led to the enactment of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which Parliament passed in May 2019.
The regulatory measures in POFMA are comparable to those in the proposed Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, with similar methods of application and appeal. More than 70 POFMA orders have been issued since the law kicked in in October 2019.
MHA said there have been many instances in recent years where entities used social media and communications technologies to mount hostile information campaigns against other countries.
“These covert, coordinated and sophisticated online activities seek to advance the interests of the attacking country, for example by manipulating public opinion in the target country on domestic political issues, subverting its democratic institutions, polarising society, or influencing the outcome of domestic elections,” the ministry said.
For instance, the US intelligence community found that ahead of the 2020 US Presidential Elections, foreign actors established troll farms to amplify controversial domestic issues, and sought to promote or run down certain candidates.
There were also influence campaigns to discredit the US government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and spread skepticism of Western-developed vaccines.
Other countries that have introduced laws against foreign interference include India and France. The latter’s Information Manipulation Law allows a judge to issue a directive to platforms within 48 hours to remove or block content, or de-reference it from search engines.
MHA said Singapore’s proposed law will strengthen its ability to counter foreign interference, and ensure that “Singaporeans continue to make our own choices on how we should govern our country and live our lives”.
Much more at: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...ia-2173756
“During a hostile information campaign, hostile foreign actors can seek to mislead Singaporeans on political issues, stir up dissent and disharmony by playing up controversial issues such as race and religion, or seek to undermine confidence and trust in public institutions,” it said.
For example, when Singapore faced bilateral issues with “another country” in late 2018 and 2019, there was an “abnormal spike” in online comments critical of Singapore on social media, the ministry said.
“These posts, made by anonymous accounts, sought to create an artificial impression of opposition to Singapore’s positions.”
The Government has considered laws against foreign interference from as early as February 2019, when then-Senior Minister of State for Law Edwin Tong referred Parliament to findings from the 2018 Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, which said that foreign state-linked disinformation efforts were likely already occurring in Singapore.
"The Select Committee had recommended that the Government consider measures to address both deliberate online falsehoods and also state-sponsored campaigns that threaten our national security,” Mr Tong said.
The Select Committee findings also led to the enactment of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which Parliament passed in May 2019.
The regulatory measures in POFMA are comparable to those in the proposed Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, with similar methods of application and appeal. More than 70 POFMA orders have been issued since the law kicked in in October 2019.
MHA said there have been many instances in recent years where entities used social media and communications technologies to mount hostile information campaigns against other countries.
“These covert, coordinated and sophisticated online activities seek to advance the interests of the attacking country, for example by manipulating public opinion in the target country on domestic political issues, subverting its democratic institutions, polarising society, or influencing the outcome of domestic elections,” the ministry said.
For instance, the US intelligence community found that ahead of the 2020 US Presidential Elections, foreign actors established troll farms to amplify controversial domestic issues, and sought to promote or run down certain candidates.
There were also influence campaigns to discredit the US government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and spread skepticism of Western-developed vaccines.
Other countries that have introduced laws against foreign interference include India and France. The latter’s Information Manipulation Law allows a judge to issue a directive to platforms within 48 hours to remove or block content, or de-reference it from search engines.
MHA said Singapore’s proposed law will strengthen its ability to counter foreign interference, and ensure that “Singaporeans continue to make our own choices on how we should govern our country and live our lives”.
Much more at: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...ia-2173756
