S'pore platform workers who let foreigners misuse accounts can be banned from all platforms for at least 2 years

Local platform workers found abetting foreigners in misusing platform accounts will be debarred by all platform operators in Singapore for at least 24 months.

These platform operators are ComfortDelGro Zig, Deliveroo, foodpanda, Gojek, Grab, Lalamove, Ryde, TADA, and AmazonFlex.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will investigate all reports of misuse of accounts to uncover such offences.

This new action is part of 10 recommendations proposed by the Platform Workers Trilateral Group on Sep. 11 to protect platform workers' livelihoods, safety, and well-being.

These recommendations will be implemented in phases.

The Trilateral Group, formed in July 2025 to tackle challenges faced by platform workers, is made up of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Transport (MOT), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and Grab Singapore.

Their recommendations address two issues that platform workers raised as key areas of concern in the sector: illegal activities, and fairness and safety in payment and incentive schemes.

Apart from protecting the platform workers, the group said in a press release that they also ensured that their recommendations retain the advantages of the platform ecosystem.

Foreigners illegally carrying out platform work

The government will work with the Platform Work Associations (PWAs) — which include the National Delivery Champions Association, National Taxi Association, National Private Hire Vehicles Association — and platform operators to uncover foreigners who illegally perform platform work, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said during a media briefing.

Based on existing penalties, foreigners who perform platform work illegally can be fined up to S$20,000 and jailed for up to two years, or both.

Penalties are also given to local platform workers if they are discovered to have abetted such activities by allowing foreigners to misuse their platform account.

Some platform operators have already been banning such workers from working for them, Koh said.

More penalties for those misusing platform accounts

Now, to strengthen enforcement and put in place more stringent punishments, platform operators are required to notify MOM if they have reasonable suspicion of a platform worker allowing foreigners to misuse their accounts.

If MOM's investigations reveal that an offence has been committed, all platform operators engaged by the Trilateral Group will debar the worker for at least 24 months.

During this debarment period, the worker will not be able to register for an account with any platform operator and thus cannot do work as a platform worker, Koh explained.

Illegal point-to-point rides

Additionally, platform workers have raised concerns about illegal point-to-point (P2P) rides.

These are rides provided by foreign-registered vehicles for illegal cross-border trips and trips within Singapore, as well as rides matched via unlicensed channels such as Telegram chatgroups.

To strengthen enforcement, the government will push for "stronger deterrence" and greater penalties for violations.

It will also work to disrupt matching of illegal P2P services by engaging online platforms to take down apps, channels, advertisements that facilitate them.

Food delivery platform operators will also strengthen detection and prevention of such illegal activities, by conducting regular and randomised identity verification checks of platform workers and outsourced workers.

The Trilateral Group also proposed for platform operators to share the list of outsourced workers with the government for checks when requested.

Allowing tip-offs from public

The government will also conduct enforcement checks on illegal platform work activities based on tipoffs from PWAs and the public.

Fairness and safety

According to the Trilateral Group, there is a lack of transparency in the design of platform operators' payment and incentive structures, which may cause platform workers to work long hours and compromise their safety in pursuit of uncertain earnings.

The group thus recommended for platform operators and workers to jointly establish industry-wide principles for fairer and safer payment and incentive schemes.

The PWAs and platform operators should work together to help platform workers better address anxieties around income uncertainty through regular meetings, the group said.

Food delivery platform operators that outsource jobs will also provide more clarity and assurance to their workers on outsourcing practices.