[SINGAPORE] As the 2025 General Election approaches, the threat of digital meddling, whether subtle or overt, is once again being examined. Political parties in the country stated they have increased measures to secure their data and digital infrastructure, while tech platforms have moved to take more decisive action against falsehoods and manipulated content. The government has also stated its intention to remain watchful against electoral misinformation.
The upcoming election might be a critical test of Singapore's resilience, not just to cyber attacks, but also to the broader problem of preserving its political processes free of foreign interference and racially charged narratives.
Mr James Cook, Asia-Pacific group vice-president at DigiCert, a digital security business, stated that as elections get more digital, with politicians and parties using social media to make their case to voters, new cyber-security concerns emerge and are exacerbated. Mr. Eugene Tan, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), believes politicians are also more vulnerable during this time, particularly in the face of disruptions or unfavorable narratives.
He highlighted the threat presented by state-linked threat actors, who are "always present" and seeking for opportunities to disrupt the Republic's operations. Given Singapore's short election campaign period (usually nine days), such groups may regard election season as the optimum opportunity to strike, leaving insufficient time to investigate cyber problems.
Mr Tan stated that Singaporeans should not rule out the prospect of distributed denial-of-service attacks aimed at disrupting critical web services, or even hack-and-leak attempts against politicians, as has occurred in the United States and elsewhere.
Observers added that state-sponsored actors may try to alter election results in favor of candidates or parties aligned with their national objectives, as well as destabilize countries through disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks. Such attempts were observed during recent elections in the United States and Romania in December 2024, when the country nullified its presidential election after discovering a foreign-backed disinformation operation.
Singapore is not immune from this. During the 2023 Presidential Election, racially inflammatory accusations appeared on Chinese platforms such as Xigua Video, WeChat, and Kuaishou. These included articles that declared "Singapore is a Chinese country" and should be led by Chinese politicians, as well as an article titled "After Lee Hsien Loong retires, Singapore may fall into the hands of Indians".
A spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that such content represented the racial bias of international viewers, and that there was no proof of bots or concerted attempts to alter public opinion in these situations. However, he warned that such content could leak into Singapore's information space and spark or be used to spark disputed narratives and provoke social disturbance.
"We should therefore be circumspect about the information that we consume and not let our judgment be clouded during politically charged periods, such as during elections," the politician said.
MHA stated that the authorities will not hesitate to respond to acts of foreign meddling in Singapore. The official cited Singapore's October 2024 blocking of several websites that authorities warned may be used to launch hostile information campaigns. Mr Sean Tan, a senior analyst at RSIS, believes that foreign meddling and generative artificial intelligence (AI) are the most serious risks since they can fuel election disinformation operations. He works for the Cyber and Homeland Defence Programme at RSIS's Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS).
To counteract foreign interference attempts, Singapore has the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica), which allows authorities to take action against foreign businesses, including social media platforms, that intentionally alter algorithms to affect domestic politics. The law, which went into effect in December 2023, gives the government the authority to issue technical assistance directives requiring parties to disclose information to authorities in order to investigate whether there is an ongoing hostile information campaign and whether the content originated from a foreign source.
It also allows authorities to issue directives targeting content or accounts implicated in such operations. Falsehoods considered harmful to the public interest can be challenged under the Protection against Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma). This law empowers the government to issue correction notices, remove content, and ban access to sites that promote disinformation.
Dr. Zhang Xue, a research fellow at Cens who researches misinformation and disinformation, believes that an anti-fake news law is critical during elections to ensure that only correct and credible information reaches the public. She referenced a poll performed by the center, which revealed that more than half of the 1,000 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Pofma was beneficial in curbing the spread of online lies.
To better secure elections, Singapore implemented a new tool: the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Act, which went into effect in January. This new law makes it illegal to publish internet anything that accurately shows a candidate saying or doing something he did not do. This comprises misinformation generated by AI or deepfakes, as well as content created with non-AI techniques such as Photoshop, dubbing, and splicing.
A representative for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information told ST that the new regulation is part of the government's larger efforts to combat various types of harmful internet content.
“While there are exemptions for communications of a private and domestic nature, the law allows the Government to act against prohibited content communicated on encrypted messaging platforms, including content circulating within groups that are easily accessible by the public,” he said.
He noted that the government has been collaborating with big technological companies and social media platforms, such as Google, Meta, X, and TikTok, to mitigate the risks posed by electoral misinformation.
In addition to these legislative measures, the government has actively engaged with the public to raise awareness of the possible risks of foreign involvement and disinformation. Workshops and seminars have been held throughout the island to teach Singaporeans how to recognize and report questionable information. These efforts are intended to create a more informed electorate that is less vulnerable to manipulation.
Civil society organizations have also played an important role in combating disinformation. Groups like the Singapore Cybersecurity Consortium have collaborated closely with the government to give training and materials to both political parties and the general public. They run cybersecurity boot camps for political candidates and digital literacy programs for citizens.
Internationally, Singapore has worked with other countries to share best practices and intelligence on countering electoral meddling. The government has taken part in various global forums and bilateral agreements aimed at improving cybersecurity and information integrity during elections. This multinational cooperation is critical in combating the transnational nature of cyber threats.
Political parties have also been stepping up their defences against online threats. A spokeswoman for the PAP said that misinformation and AI-generated deepfakes are growing concerns globally – and Singapore is no exception. She said People’s Action Party MPs have been raising their concerns and suggestions on online safety in Parliament.
“We encourage Singaporeans to verify information with trusted sources like the PAP official website and social media accounts,” she added. A spokesman for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) stated that the party anticipates being attacked by negative actors, and that constant vigilance and quick action have become the norm. She said that the PSP has used best practices to safeguard its communication systems, such as two-factor authentication and encrypted texting.
“We have, within the ranks of the PSP membership, professionals who are experts in the field of cyber security who have provided their expertise and talents in ensuring that our cyber presence is safe and robust,” she said.
Tech platforms claim to have devised extensive safeguards to ensure the integrity of GE2025. According to a Meta representative, the internet conglomerate uses advanced security procedures, collaborates with fact-checkers such as journalistic organizations, and strictly enforces regulations on political ads and falsehoods.
According to the spokesman, Meta's platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram, also require advertisers to authenticate their local residency to minimize foreign involvement and have increased openness surrounding the usage of generative AI.
TikTok stated that it removes incorrect material about electoral processes and prohibits political advertising and monetisation. It has also collaborated with the AFP in Singapore to check content, and the site provides users with accurate election-related information.
Meanwhile, Google promotes authoritative sources on Search and YouTube. Ms Rachel Teo, Google's head of government affairs in Singapore, told ST that the business does not allow political adverts in Singapore and utilizes SynthID, an invisible watermark buried in AI-generated content, to help trace media origins.
It also compels authors to reveal realistic AI-generated content and identify it prominently, particularly when it deals with sensitive themes like as elections. Experts, tech platforms, and political parties may disagree on strategies, but they all agree on one thing: digital literacy is still one of the most effective instruments against online threats.
Mr Cook stated that frequent cyber-security training for campaign staff can help boost defences against phishing and disinformation techniques. Mr Tan from RSIS proposes that political parties and candidates safeguard their email servers and communication routes.
The MHA official stated that the authorities will also issue advisories to candidates regarding the potential of foreign involvement and cyber-security risks for GE2025, as they have done in past elections.
“The best defence against foreign interference, however, is an aware and discerning public. As such, there are also efforts to raise the awareness of Singaporeans about foreign interference in the lead-up to GE2025,” he added.
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