Mr Jeyaretnam’s website and social media pages are each required to carry a notice, stating that each of these online locations has been declared as a Declared Online Location.
“With the notice, visitors to these DOLs will be warned that Mr Jeyaretnam has a history of communicating falsehoods on these online locations,” the ministry said.
Mr Jeyaretnam will not be required to cease operations of his website and social media pages.
However, POFMA “prohibits a person from deriving financial benefit from operating a DOL, thereby preventing operators of DOLs from profiting from the communication of falsehoods”, said MCI.
Service providers and digital advertising bodies must take reasonable steps to ensure that paid content that they include on these online locations are not communicated in Singapore.
Individuals and companies must also not provide financial support to these DOLs if they know it would “support, help or promote the communication of falsehoods in Singapore”, added the ministry.
“Members of the public are advised to be alert to Mr Jeyaretnam’s history of communicating misinformation on these online locations, and to fact-check information published at these DOLs.”
The owner or operator of the online locations in question may apply to the Minister for Communications and Information to vary or cancel the declaration. If the Minister refuses the application, an appeal can be made to the High Court.
There are currently four other online sites that are DOLs. These are The Online Citizen Asia’s (TOCA) website, as well as its Facebook, X and LinkedIn pages.