Joint Advisory on Online Conduct During General Election

1. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) would like to remind members of the public to observe appropriate online conduct during the General Election.

2. Singaporeans have the right to participate in online discussions on the General Election but should refrain from the following behaviours which may constitute offences under the law.

Misinformation and Disinformation in the Online Space

3. During the election period, there will be a high volume of online campaigning and political discourse on social media and private messaging services. Members of the public should be cautious about the information and materials they receive during this period and be alert to misinformation. Persons with ill intent may create online posts containing falsehoods or manipulated content such as deepfakes, to deceive the public and influence the outcome of the election. There have been numerous instances of manipulated videos and photos appearing during election campaigning across the world. These days, we no longer need sophisticated tools and techniques to create deceptive content. They are easy to produce.

4. Members of the public should take care not to post or share content containing falsehoods and misleading or manipulated content. If unsure about the content, do not forward or repost them. Instead, verify the information against official sources. The spread of misinformation and disinformation may affect the integrity of our General Election.

5. Persons who spread misinformation and disinformation online may be liable for an offence of communicating false messages under Section 14D of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906. Persons who knowingly communicate online falsehoods that are against the public interest may also be liable for an offence under Section 7 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019. Persons who publish digitally generated or manipulated election-related online content that misrepresents a candidate’s actions or words during the election period may be liable for an offence under Section 61MA of the Parliamentary Elections Act 1954.

Online Harassment

6. Acts of harassment are punishable under the Protection from Harassment Act 2014. Members of the public are advised not to make online comments that may cause harassment, alarm or distress to another person. This includes online doxxing of persons by publishing the personal information of the person or persons related to him in order to harass, threaten or facilitate violence against them. Members of the public should engage in online discussions on the General Election in a civil manner.

Online Posts with Racial or Religious Connotations

7. Members of the public should not make online posts which may wound the racial feelings of any person, promote enmity between different groups of people on grounds of race, or which are prejudicial to racial harmony, as they may constitute offences under the Penal Code 1871.

8. Members of the public should not engage in conduct that urges violence or incites hatred or ill-will on religious grounds or against other religious groups, as these may constitute offences under the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act 1990. SPF will not hesitate to take offenders to task.

9. The online space has become an important platform for communication and exchange of information. SPF and MDDI would like to remind members of the public to engage in responsible online behaviour to safeguard the integrity of the General Election.