Singapore tightens digital media laws as trust in news declines to 45%, says Reuters report
Singapore's traditionally tight media regulations have increasingly extended into digital and social platforms. Ahead of the May 2025 general election, authorities enacted a law targeting deepfakes and digitally altered media involving political candidates.
The regulation forms part of a broader legislative framework that includes the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act.
These laws aim to manage misinformation and protect public confidence in government institutions.
According to the Digital News Report 2025 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the new deepfake law prohibits publishing or sharing AI-generated or digitally manipulated content that falsely depicts political candidates saying or doing things they did not.
The law is broad, covering both favourable and unfavourable portrayals. It excludes animations, beauty filters, and entertainment-style memes. Platforms that fail to comply with takedown orders risk fines of up to US$1 million.
This regulation follows increasing use of visual platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for news. Usage of these platforms rose by 4 percentage points for YouTube and Instagram, and by 3 percentage points for TikTok.
POFMA enforcement and high-profile corrections
Singapore's POFMA gives ministers powers to order corrections of online content deemed false or harmful to public confidence.
In November 2024, activist Kokila Annamalai received correction orders after alleging arbitrary executions in Singapore's criminal justice system.
While Meta and X complied with the correction demands, Annamalai did not and now faces potential imprisonment. The government's rebuttals were posted on its official Factually website.
In a separate case, multiple outlets including Bloomberg, The Edge, and The Online Citizen were directed to correct reports involving real estate deals linked to government ministers.
Bloomberg noted it complied under protest and reserved the right to appeal.
The ministers involved have since filed defamation suits against Bloomberg and one of its reporters.
The Online Citizen faces extended restrictions
Singapore also extended its restriction on The Online Citizen (TOC), preventing it from earning revenue from its website and social platforms until 2027. This follows its continued status as a Declared Online Location (DOL) under POFMA since July 2023.
Originally set to expire on 21 July 2025, the ban was extended by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information on 11 June 2025.
Authorities said the extension was necessary due to TOC's persistent publication of alleged falsehoods.
However, on 13 June, Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), expressed serious concern, criticising the move as a troubling use of POFMA to silence dissent and suppress free expression, and urged the government to stop further eroding Singapore's shrinking civic space.
Terry Xu, chief editor of TOC, described the extended DOL as a clear act of oppression against independent media and a targeted attack on the outlet.
'If the DOL were applied strictly according to the letter of the law, then Bloomberg and The Edge should have been subjected to the DOL as well, since they were issued Correction Directions containing more than three statements deemed false,' Xu argued.
He also noted, 'It is particularly noteworthy that the Correction Directions involved in the declaration are linked to Minister K Shanmugam — the very person who introduced the POFMA law in the first place.'
Mainstream media adapt through AI and consolidation
Despite the regulatory environment, mainstream outlets such as Channel News Asia (CNA) continue to be trusted and widely used. CNA, part of the state-owned Mediacorp group, leads online news usage at 47%.
Its broader media network includes Channel 5 and Channel 8, each with a 23% weekly reach. CNA has also expanded internationally to the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada as of March 2024, marking its 25th anniversary.
However, Mediacorp also made strategic consolidations.
In early 2024, it shut down TODAY, a digital newspaper once Singapore's second most-read outlet. The decision aimed to refocus resources towards CNA's digital newsroom, which now produces long-form weekend content.
Mediacorp has been investing in semi-automated production processes such as FASTs—AI-generated news summaries aimed at mobile and social-first audiences.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) also released updated training guidelines urging media professionals to gain skills in generative AI and virtual production.
The Reuters survey shows 7% of respondents have used AI chatbots to access news content.
Digital-native outlets and language diversity
The second most-used digital news platform in Singapore is Mothership at 46%, followed by the Straits Times, published by SPH Media Trust.
SPH also operates Lianhe Zaobao (8% reach), Berita Harian (4%), and Tamil Murasu (1%), catering to Singapore's multilingual population.
Yahoo! News, which ranks fourth in usage at 21%, recently shifted to full content syndication, laying off its editorial and social teams. This move signals industry-wide pressures on traditional news production.
The report confirms a continued shift in news consumption habits. Social media and digital channels are now the primary sources of news.
Platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook held steady, while younger-skewing services saw modest growth.
In contrast, traditional platforms such as television and print have seen steep declines in use over recent years.
Public trust in news continues to slide
Public trust in news fell by 2 percentage points to 45%, despite legacy brands maintaining relatively high individual trust scores. The Straits Times (75%), CNA (74%), and Channel 5 (73%) were the most trusted among respondents.
Alternative and independent outlets continue to lag behind in public trust, attributed to their shorter histories and focus on viral or controversial content.
Singapore ranked 126th out of 180 in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. Despite a technologically advanced media ecosystem, restrictions under POFMA and similar laws continue to limit media independence.
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Online Citizen
6 hours ago
- Online Citizen
Singapore tightens digital media laws as trust in news declines to 45%, says Reuters report
Singapore's traditionally tight media regulations have increasingly extended into digital and social platforms. Ahead of the May 2025 general election, authorities enacted a law targeting deepfakes and digitally altered media involving political candidates. The regulation forms part of a broader legislative framework that includes the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act. These laws aim to manage misinformation and protect public confidence in government institutions. According to the Digital News Report 2025 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the new deepfake law prohibits publishing or sharing AI-generated or digitally manipulated content that falsely depicts political candidates saying or doing things they did not. The law is broad, covering both favourable and unfavourable portrayals. It excludes animations, beauty filters, and entertainment-style memes. Platforms that fail to comply with takedown orders risk fines of up to US$1 million. This regulation follows increasing use of visual platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for news. Usage of these platforms rose by 4 percentage points for YouTube and Instagram, and by 3 percentage points for TikTok. POFMA enforcement and high-profile corrections Singapore's POFMA gives ministers powers to order corrections of online content deemed false or harmful to public confidence. In November 2024, activist Kokila Annamalai received correction orders after alleging arbitrary executions in Singapore's criminal justice system. While Meta and X complied with the correction demands, Annamalai did not and now faces potential imprisonment. The government's rebuttals were posted on its official Factually website. In a separate case, multiple outlets including Bloomberg, The Edge, and The Online Citizen were directed to correct reports involving real estate deals linked to government ministers. Bloomberg noted it complied under protest and reserved the right to appeal. The ministers involved have since filed defamation suits against Bloomberg and one of its reporters. The Online Citizen faces extended restrictions Singapore also extended its restriction on The Online Citizen (TOC), preventing it from earning revenue from its website and social platforms until 2027. This follows its continued status as a Declared Online Location (DOL) under POFMA since July 2023. Originally set to expire on 21 July 2025, the ban was extended by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information on 11 June 2025. Authorities said the extension was necessary due to TOC's persistent publication of alleged falsehoods. However, on 13 June, Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), expressed serious concern, criticising the move as a troubling use of POFMA to silence dissent and suppress free expression, and urged the government to stop further eroding Singapore's shrinking civic space. Terry Xu, chief editor of TOC, described the extended DOL as a clear act of oppression against independent media and a targeted attack on the outlet. 'If the DOL were applied strictly according to the letter of the law, then Bloomberg and The Edge should have been subjected to the DOL as well, since they were issued Correction Directions containing more than three statements deemed false,' Xu argued. He also noted, 'It is particularly noteworthy that the Correction Directions involved in the declaration are linked to Minister K Shanmugam — the very person who introduced the POFMA law in the first place.' Mainstream media adapt through AI and consolidation Despite the regulatory environment, mainstream outlets such as Channel News Asia (CNA) continue to be trusted and widely used. CNA, part of the state-owned Mediacorp group, leads online news usage at 47%. Its broader media network includes Channel 5 and Channel 8, each with a 23% weekly reach. CNA has also expanded internationally to the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada as of March 2024, marking its 25th anniversary. However, Mediacorp also made strategic consolidations. In early 2024, it shut down TODAY, a digital newspaper once Singapore's second most-read outlet. The decision aimed to refocus resources towards CNA's digital newsroom, which now produces long-form weekend content. Mediacorp has been investing in semi-automated production processes such as FASTs—AI-generated news summaries aimed at mobile and social-first audiences. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) also released updated training guidelines urging media professionals to gain skills in generative AI and virtual production. The Reuters survey shows 7% of respondents have used AI chatbots to access news content. Digital-native outlets and language diversity The second most-used digital news platform in Singapore is Mothership at 46%, followed by the Straits Times, published by SPH Media Trust. SPH also operates Lianhe Zaobao (8% reach), Berita Harian (4%), and Tamil Murasu (1%), catering to Singapore's multilingual population. Yahoo! News, which ranks fourth in usage at 21%, recently shifted to full content syndication, laying off its editorial and social teams. This move signals industry-wide pressures on traditional news production. The report confirms a continued shift in news consumption habits. Social media and digital channels are now the primary sources of news. Platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook held steady, while younger-skewing services saw modest growth. In contrast, traditional platforms such as television and print have seen steep declines in use over recent years. Public trust in news continues to slide Public trust in news fell by 2 percentage points to 45%, despite legacy brands maintaining relatively high individual trust scores. The Straits Times (75%), CNA (74%), and Channel 5 (73%) were the most trusted among respondents. Alternative and independent outlets continue to lag behind in public trust, attributed to their shorter histories and focus on viral or controversial content. Singapore ranked 126th out of 180 in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. Despite a technologically advanced media ecosystem, restrictions under POFMA and similar laws continue to limit media independence.
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BEIJING/WELLINGTON — New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will visit China from Tuesday (June 17), looking to foster trade ties and woo tourists and students, although thorny issues of security and defence will figure on his agenda in meetings with top leaders. Making his first visit to China since becoming prime minister in November 2023, Luxon will arrive in the financial hub of Shanghai before heading to Beijing for meetings on Friday with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, his office said. "It's all part of our plan to grow our economy — creating more jobs, lifting wages, and putting more money in your back pocket," Luxon said in an Instagram post as he set off. The visit comes as Beijing's growing influence in the Pacific during the last few years has alarmed many Western nations whose traditionally stronger security foothold there is being challenged. "There are a whole bunch of issues and challenges in the relationship," said Jason Young, director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre at Victoria University, while adding that both sides agree they have significant interests. New Zealand aired concerns in February, for instance, when the Cook Islands, within its constitutional ambit, signed pacts, such as one on co-operation on the economy, infrastructure and seabed mining, with China, without consulting it first. The presence of a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy task force in the Tasman Sea and Chinese activity in the Pacific also pose challenges for the relationship, Young added. Significant interests Trade and travel have proved less fractious areas for the two countries, however. The first developed nation to sign a free trade deal with Beijing in 2008, New Zealand counts dairy, meat and wood products as its largest items of export to China. Tourism and education are major services sectors. The Pacific country's exports to China in 2024 stood at NZ$20.85 billion (S$16.22 billion), made up of NZ$17.75 billion in goods and NZ$3.1 billion in services, the foreign ministry says on its website. Chinese tourists are the third-largest group of international visitors to New Zealand, though their numbers are still nearly a fifth lower than in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, official data shows. On the weekend, New Zealand said it would start in November a 12-month trial of visa waivers for Chinese passport holders arriving from Australia with visas valid for its neighbour, reciprocating China's visa-free policy for New Zealanders last year. Luxon, who has called China "a vital part" of his Pacific nation's economic story, has told domestic media that based on the "mature relationship" with Beijing, he expects talks during his four-day visit to cover topics of security and defence. "The challenging global outlook makes it vital that we are sharing perspectives and engaging China on issues that matter to New Zealand," his office said in a statement last week. The leaders of the two countries previously met on the sidelines of November's APEC summit in Peru, while Li visited New Zealand in June last year. Wellington has historically taken a more conciliatory approach towards China than Australia or its other partners in the Five Eyes security arrangement. But in recent years it has become more vocal on issues such as human rights, the international rules-based order and potential militarisation of the Pacific. In June 2023, then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visited Beijing, prior to Luxon. [[nid:719163]]
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8 hours ago
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Mr Luxon expects talks during his four-day visit to cover topics of security and defence. PHOTO: REUTERS New Zealand PM to discuss trade, tourism and security on first visit to China BEIJING/WELLINGTON - New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will visit China from June 17, looking to foster trade ties and woo tourists and students, although thorny issues of security and defence will figure on his agenda in meetings with top leaders. Making his first visit to China since becoming prime minister in November 2023, Mr Luxon will arrive in the financial hub of Shanghai before heading to Beijing for meetings on June 20 with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, his office said. "It's all part of our plan to grow our economy - creating more jobs, lifting wages, and putting more money in your back pocket," Mr Luxon said in an Instagram post as he set off. The visit comes as Beijing's growing influence in the Pacific during the last few years has alarmed many Western nations whose traditionally stronger security foothold there is being challenged. "There are a whole bunch of issues and challenges in the relationship," said Associate Professor Jason Young, director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre at Victoria University, while adding that both sides agree they have significant interests. New Zealand aired concerns in February, for instance, when the Cook Islands, within its constitutional ambit, signed pacts, such as one on co-operation on the economy, infrastructure and seabed mining, with China, without consulting it first. The presence of a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy task force in the Tasman Sea and Chinese activity in the Pacific also pose challenges for the relationship, Assoc Prof Young added. Significant interests Trade and travel have proved less fractious areas for the two countries, however. The first developed nation to sign a free trade deal with Beijing in 2008, New Zealand counts dairy, meat and wood products as its largest items of export to China. Tourism and education are major services sectors. The Pacific country's exports to China in 2024 stood at NZ$20.85 billion (S$16.21 billion), made up of NZ$17.75 billion in goods and NZ$3.1 billion in services, the foreign ministry says on its website. Chinese tourists are the third-largest group of international visitors to New Zealand, though their numbers are still nearly a fifth lower than in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, official data shows. On the weekend, New Zealand said it would start in November a 12-month trial of visa waivers for Chinese passport holders arriving from Australia with visas valid for its neighbour, reciprocating China's visa-free policy for New Zealanders in 2024. Mr Luxon, who has called China "a vital part" of his Pacific nation's economic story, has told domestic media that based on the "mature relationship" with Beijing, he expects talks during his four-day visit to cover topics of security and defence. "The challenging global outlook makes it vital that we are sharing perspectives and engaging China on issues that matter to New Zealand," his office said in a statement last week. The leaders of the two countries previously met on the sidelines of November's Apec summit in Peru, while Mr Li visited New Zealand in June 2024. Wellington has historically taken a more conciliatory approach towards China than Australia or its other partners in the Five Eyes security arrangement. But in recent years it has beome more vocal on issues such as human rights, the international rules-based order and potential militarisation of the Pacific. In June 2023, then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visited Beijing, prior to Mr Luxon. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
