Authorities investigating social media accounts targeting political parties

Straits Times

24-04-2025

MDDI is urging the public to be discerning consumers of information, in an advisory that addressed a series of new social media accounts targeting political parties. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
SINGAPORE - Internet users who come across online accounts that appear to target different political parties need to be discerning in the kind of information they consume, said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)
The authorities, on their part, will continue to keep an eye on the online space to ensure there is no meddling from foreigners.
In response to queries, an MDDI spokesman said: 'We will continue to monitor the online space for foreign interference... (We) urge the public to be discerning consumers of information.'
The Government will also take action if online content runs afoul of the law.
MDDI said: 'We will act on content that is in breach of our laws.'
Foreign interference includes 'attempts by foreign actors to manipulate domestic politics through covert and deceptive means, which undermines political sovereignty and harms social cohesion', said the Elections Department (ELD) on its website.
'Singapore's politics should be decided by Singaporeans alone,' it added.
The government advisory addresses a series of social media accounts created shortly before Nomination Day, which appear to target different political parties.
MDDI said the social media accounts are under probe. The Straits Times found several were linked to Singaporean phone numbers, while others were created with US ones.
The content hosted by these accounts portray a candidate in bad light – often falsely, and target a range of political parties in Singapore.
Often, the accounts feature fake images created using artificial intelligence, to pass off as accounts belonging to Singaporeans.
Checks by ST found at least 20 such accounts, on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
Law professor Benjamin Ong, who teaches at the Singapore Management University, said these accounts are unacceptable for any democracy, regardless of the political stripes of the persons or parties targeted.
He said: 'The phenomenon of 'fake engagement', including creating multiple accounts to make comments or 'like' posts, involves somebody trying to paint a false impression of what people's views are and how popular they are... There is clearly some intent to deceive, and perhaps, to distort public sentiment.'
Professor Edson C. Tandoc Jr, who monitors fake accounts on social media as part of his research at the Nanyang Technological University, said orchestrated political attacks using inauthentic accounts to stir negative sentiment have long operated in other countries.
He said: 'These posts may not contain outright falsehoods, placing them outside the scope of anti-fake news initiatives.'
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