MDDI's response to PQ on Meta rollback of fact checking and content moderation

Parliament Sitting on 5 February 2025

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

*7160. Mr Alex Yam Ziming asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in light of the recent announcements by Meta to eliminate fact-checking and reduce content moderation efforts (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the potential impact on the spread of misinformation and harmful content on Meta’s platforms; (b) whether there are implications for Singapore’s digital ecosystem and the safety of online discourse; and (c) what measures will be introduced or enhanced to promote information integrity and responsible digital citizenship in Singapore, particularly when global technology companies adopt more lenient moderation policies.

Answer:

Social media has increasingly become the primary source of news and information for many Singapore users online. A reliable fact-checking and content moderation system on social media platforms therefore serves as a crucial first line of defence against misinformation and harmful online content, allowing platforms to act early to detect, correct, or filter out such material.

Meta has been assessed to be a social media platform with significant reach in Singapore.  The Government is naturally concerned about the impact of its policies and practices on Singapore. We are therefore monitoring developments arising from the company’s announcement to replace third-party fact-checking with crowdsourced fact-checking and revise its hate speech policies across its platforms. Based on publicly available report, these changes will be limited to within the US, at least in the near term. Nonetheless, we will assess their impact on Singapore, especially if the changes are also implemented here.

In the meantime, we will continue our existing approach to addressing misinformation and ensure that it remains fit-for-purpose. In terms of regulations, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (“POFMA”) enables the Government to issue corrections against online falsehoods that are against the public interest. The Codes of Practice under POFMA also require the prescribed internet intermediaries to put in place safeguards to promote credible online sources of information, enhance transparency in political advertising, and prevent and counter the abuse of online accounts. In addition, our Code of Practice for Online Safety under the Broadcasting Act requires designated social media services, including Meta’s platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, to have systems or processes to prevent Singapore users from accessing harmful content.

Beyond regulations, it is also important for Singaporeans to be able to protect themselves against risks in the online space. To this end, the Government has put in place public education programmes to equip Singaporeans with the skills to critically evaluate information and protect themselves against misinformation. As an example, the National Library Board’s S.U.R.E (Source, Understand, Research, and Evaluate) programme has developed resources and organised activities to equip Singaporeans to be discerning producers and consumers of information. As part of the Digital for Life movement and the Digital Skills for Life framework, IMDA has also developed resources to equip Singaporeans to be safe, smart, and kind online, including skills on identifying and taking action against false information.

We are also keeping up with efforts to leverage technology to respond to online harms. In May last year, we committed $50 million in funding over five years to the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS), which will bring together government, industry, academics, and civil society, to develop and deploy technological solutions to build a safer online ecosystem for Singapore users. Part of CATOS’ work includes testing “Trust by Design” technologies, such as watermarking and content authentication, so as to enhance the authenticity of digital content.

The Government will continue to review our range of online safety efforts, to keep pace with a fast-changing social media landscape and ensure Singaporeans can continue to access safe and trusted online spaces.