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Ministry of Digital Development and Information
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MDDI-MinLaw Joint Statement on Print Correction Notices under POFMA

25 March 2026

  1. Countries worldwide continue to grapple with the persistent challenge of online falsehoods, which have the ability to spread quickly. Falsehoods can polarise societies, undermine public trust in institutions, and threaten the foundations of democratic discourse – by attacking the shared factual basis upon which debate can take place.

  2. The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) provides the Singapore Government with targeted tools to tackle online falsehoods effectively. These measures include directions for the publication of corrections – on both online and offline mediums - to correct falsehoods and inform the public of the facts. Additionally, persistent disseminators of falsehoods may be designated as Declared Online Locations, with readers cautioned to exercise discretion when accessing such sources for information.

  3. These tools address the distinctive challenges that online falsehoods present: their potential for rapid proliferation and viral transmission, permanence in digital environments, and tendency for false information to achieve broader circulation than facts. Crucially, misinformation can go beyond digital boundaries and spread through offline discourse – influencing public understanding even among those who have not encountered the original false content online. POFMA therefore incorporates measures, including print corrections, to protect the broader population from the pervasive effects of falsehoods in public discourse.

 Background on The Online Citizen

  1. The Online Citizen (TOC) has a history of publishing falsehoods. Given this persistent conduct, TOC’s website and its Facebook and X pages have been designated as Declared Online Locations under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) on two occasions – in July 2023 and again in July 2025. These Declarations require the display of warning notices to readers and prohibit the receipt of financial or other material benefit from operating these locations.

  2. Despite these measures, TOC has continued to disseminate false and misleading content. 24 Correction Directions have been issued against TOC and its affiliated pages over the past six years, including the recent direction of 23 Mar 2026. Three of these directions were challenged in court, but none of those appeals succeeded, with the courts affirming the directions issued. The other 20 directions against TOC and its affiliated pages for publication of falsehoods have not been disputed.

  3. To mitigate against the impact and reach of their persistent falsehoods, we have considered it necessary to utilise the power under s 11(3)(b) of the POFMA to direct TOC to publish their Correction Notice in The Straits Times.