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Ministry of Digital Development and Information
Press Releases

The Online Citizen's (TOC) Alternate Website and Heidoh's Website made Declared Online Locations (DOLs) under POFMA

30 June 2026

  1. The Minister for Digital Development and Information has declared The Online Citizen (TOC)’s alternate website and Heidoh’s website as “Declared Online Locations” (DOLs) under Section 32 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA).

A Recalcitrant Purveyor of Falsehoods

  1. TOC’s primary website (located at https://www.theonlinecitizen.com), alongside its Facebook, Instagram and X pages, were declared as DOLs in June 2025 for repeatedly communicating falsehoods. This was the second time that TOC’s website, Facebook and X pages have been declared as DOLs. This Declaration, which came into effect on 22 July 2025, remains in place for a period of two years, until 21 July 2027.

  2. During this period, each of TOC’s DOLs is required to carry a notice to alert viewers that they have been declared as DOLs, that they have communicated multiple falsehoods, and that viewers should exercise caution when accessing them for information. The operator of TOC’s online platforms is also restricted from receiving financial or other material benefits from operating the DOLs.  

Attempts to Circumvent Declared Online Location Restrictions

  1. Following the re-designation of TOC’s primary website as a DOL in 2025, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information observed that TOC’s operator has set up alternate online locations to publish its content.

  2. As these new online locations have a different Uniform Resource Locator (URL), they are not presently subject to requirements for DOLs. This has allowed their operator to receive financial benefits from operating the sites by carrying paid content, such as online advertisements. These locations are:

    1. TOC’s alternate website (located at https://theonlinecitizen.com) – The site is hosted on the same domain as TOC’s primary website and closely mirrors the primary site’s branding and appearance. Since May 2026, TOC has redirected users visiting its primary site to the alternate website through links on its homepage, while mainly publishing content on the alternate website (see Figures 1 and 2 in Annex A).

    2. Heidoh’s website (located at https://heidoh.com) – Heidoh is an alternative news site set up by TOC’s operator in 2025. For a period in 2026, Heidoh republished content carried on TOC’s websites (see Figure 3 in Annex A).

  3. Notably, TOC’s operator has persisted in communicating falsehoods to readers in Singapore through these new sites. In March 2026, both locations were issued two POFMA Correction Directions each for falsehoods regarding the (i) re-appointment of Attorney-General Lucien Wong, and (ii) reply by the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs to Parliamentary Questions on Singaporeans allegedly serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (see Annex B) for details of the nine falsehoods in total). TOC’s alternate website and Heidoh’s website have thus met the requirements under POFMA to be declared as DOLs.

Alternate Sites Declared as DOLs

  1. Given TOC’s persistent communication of falsehoods on these alternate sites, and its attempts to circumvent the DOL requirements imposed on its platforms, the Minister for Digital Development and Information has found it necessary to declare both the domain names of TOC’s alternate website and Heidoh’s website as DOLs. This ensures that Singaporeans visiting these sites are alerted to their record of communicating falsehoods, and prevents TOC’s operator from continuing to profit from the harmful act of spreading online falsehoods in Singapore. The Declaration will take effect on 1 July 2026, and will remain in force for two years, until 30 June 2028, 12.00 pm (GMT+8).

  2. The conditions and requirements of the new Declaration remain the same as the existing Declaration for TOC’s online locations. The Declaration does not mean that the DOLs will need to cease operations. However, service providers such as digital advertising agencies and intermediaries are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that paid content placed on these two websites is not communicated in Singapore. Individuals and companies are also prohibited from providing financial support to these DOLs to avoid promoting the communication of falsehoods in Singapore.

  3. The owner or operator of TOC’s online platforms can apply to the Minister for Digital Development and Information to suspend, vary or cancel the Declaration. If the Minister refuses the application, an appeal can be made to the High Court.

  4. Members of the public are strongly advised to be mindful of TOC’s history of communicating falsehoods, including on its affiliated sites, and to fact-check information published on the DOLs affiliated with TOC against official sources. Members of the public who encounter purported falsehoods may also report them via the POFMA Office website.

  5. A list of other Declarations currently in effect can also be found at Annex C.

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