Overview
- The Singapore Police Force issued updated Codes under the Online Criminal Harms Act in mid‑August that designate large social media, messaging, conferencing and e‑commerce services as subject to new duties.
- Facebook, Instagram and TikTok must verify advertiser identities against government records and block paid ads for financial products unless the advertiser is authorised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore or another relevant Singapore authority.
- Those social platforms are required to pre‑screen every ad aimed at Singapore users for scam signals such as URL cloaking, false impersonation and pressure tactics, and to remove suspected scam ads promptly.
- Messaging, conferencing and marketplace services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple iMessage/FaceTime, Google Messages/Meet and Carousell must add consent rules for unknown contacts, show account‑origin warnings and deploy anti‑spoofing protections with some measures due by Sept. 30, 2026 and broader compliance by Jan. 31, 2027.
- Platforms must also act on user reports within 24 hours, retain specified account data for 90 days and file annual implementation reports, while proposed legislation in Parliament would raise fines for breaches to as much as S$10 million per instance pending approval.