Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran has directed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to order Facebook to disable Singapore users' access to the National Times Singapore (NTS) Facebook page.

The National Times Singapore is operated by Alex Tan, who previously operated States Times Review (STR) and Singapore States Times (SST).

The NTS Facebook page communicated at least three false statements of fact

According to the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), the NTS Facebook page has communicated at least three false statements of fact.

The page also did not comply with the POFMA Direction that it was served with for a post published on May 15, 2020.

The post claimed that "every criticism has been outlawed by the Singapore government through its new POFMA legislation", and that "the politicians in power get to decide what is truth".

MCI said that the page was notified on May 28 that it had been declared a Declared Online Location (DOL), but it has not complied with the Declaration's requirement to publish a notice stating that it has been declared a DOL.

The notice serves to warn visitors to the NTS Facebook page of the falsehoods that the page has communicated.

Fourth Facebook page subjected to a Disabling Order

According to MCI, this is the fourth Facebook page operated by Tan to be subject to a Disabling Order.

Three other pages, namely the STR Facebook page, as well as the SST Facebook page and Tan's own personal Facebook page were previously declared DOLs on Feb 16 and May 6 respectively, but did not comply with the Declarations.

The POFMA Office then issued orders to Facebook to disable access for Singapore users to the STR Facebook page, as well as the SST and Tan's personal Facebook page on Feb 17 and May 7 respectively.

Given how Tan quickly declared that he will start a new Facebook page shortly after STR's Facebook page was blocked from Singapore users, it is likely that he will do the same again.

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Top image from Alex Tan/FB and NTS/FB.