The Online Citizen Asia (TOCA) website, Facebook page, Twitter account, and LinkedIn page have been declared by the Minister for Communications and Information as Declared Online Locations (DOL) under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
The declaration will come into effect on Jul. 22, 2023, and will last for two years, until Jul. 21, 2025.
In a press release by the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI) on Jul. 21, 2023, the declaration was made after multiple falsehoods were communicated on TOCA's online locations.
When the declaration is in effect, TOCA's website, Facebook page, Twitter account and LinkedIn page will have to carry a notice stating that each of these online locations has been declared a DOL.
With this notice, those who visit the DOLs will be warned that TOCA has a history of communicating falsehoods on these online locations.
TOCA communicated three or more different false statements of facts in the last six months
Under Section 32 of POFMA, an online location may be declared as a DOL if it has carried three or more different false statements of fact, and at least three of these false statements of fact had been communicated on the online locations within six months before the date of declaration.
TOCA's online locations have each met the requirements as TOCA's website, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn carried at least three different false statements of fact communicated within the last six months that are subjects of active POFMA directions.
These include three different false statements of fact that were subject to POFMA Correction Directions on May 7 and 19, 2023.
TOCA cannot derive financial benefits from operating their online locations
MCI clarified that this does not mean that the DOLs are required to cease operations.
TOCA's website, Facebook page, Twitter account and LinkedIn page may remain operational.
However, the demonetisation of the DOLs must be complied with.
"POFMA prohibits a person from deriving financial benefit from operating a DOL, thereby preventing operators of DOLS from profiting from the communication of falsehoods," MCI explained.
MCI outlined that during the time that the declaration is in effect:
- It is an offence for the operator of a DOL to derive financial or other material benefit from operating these online locations
- Service providers and digital advertising intermediaries must take "reasonable steps" to ensure that paid content that they include or cause to be included on these DOLs are not communicated in Singapore
- Individuals and companies must not provide financial support to these DOls if they know or have reasons to believe that by doing so, they would support, help or promote the communication of falsehoods in Singapore on the DOL.
MCI advised members of the public to "be alert to TOCA's history of communicating misinformation, and to fact-check information published at these DOLs".
Previous DOLs
MCI noted four locations that were previously declared as DOLs. These pages were operated by Alex Tan, a former Singapore politician.
In 2020, Tan's States Times Review, Singapore States Times, and National Times Singapore Facebook pages were all declared DOLs.
When Tan did not comply with DOL requirements, Access Disabling Orders were issued to Facebook to disable access to Singapore users.
Top photo via TOCA's website