Singapore proposed a law on Monday ( Sep 9 ) that would outlaw deepfakes and other election-related content from candidates.
Introduced The Elections ( Integrity of Online Advertising ) ( Amendment ) Bill, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information ( MDDI), would establish safeguards against digitally generated or manipulated content during elections.
This includes synthetic intelligence-generated propaganda, commonly known as deepfakes.
It comes as a result of growing global concern about shady deepfakes. Singapore has also seen more of such information, including those used for schemes and bribery.
Singapore’s following General Election had been held by November 2025.
WHAT DOES THE BILL COVER?
The Bill would enact a law prohibiting the release of online produced or manipulated information during elections that accurately depicts a prospect saying or acting in a manner that they did not say or perform.
This restriction may just apply to online advertisements for elections that feature candidates running for office.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information ( MDDI), it would become effective once the writ of election is issued and until the polling closes.
If three conditions are met, the prohibition did use:
- The material is online created or altered using both AI and other methods. non-AI methods such as Photoshop, rendering, and cutting.
- The content can be “reasonably regarded” as virtual election marketing, where its goal is to promote, secure or prejudice the political leads of a party or candidate.
- The articles must accurately depict a applicant saying or doing something they did n’t say or do.
Publishing the material that fulfills all three requirements as well as republishing, sharing, or reposting it would be a criminal offense.
The Bill authorizes the Returning Officer to edict preventative orders to remove offending content from websites and internet access services providers during the election season or to prevent access by Singaporeans during the election.
Social media companies that violate the law may be fined up to S$ 1 million if found guilty. For all others, non-compliance may result in a fine of up to S$ 1,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.
Additionally, the proposed law would permit candidates to demand that the Returning Officer review potentially illegal content and issue preventative instructions.
Preventative directions can be issued if it is determined to be a real case.
Individuals who make a false or misleading pronouncement on purpose may be fined or forfeit their vote seats.
Minor changes like charm frames, according to the MDDI director during a presentation on the proposed Bill, because they do not accurately depict the prospect doing or saying things they did not accomplish.
Animation characters or cartoons, as well as entertainment content and memes that are n’t realistic, would also be excluded from this.
“With memes and entertainment videos, potentially, one might argue that’ I’m creating content for entertainment purposes’, but ultimately it is based on assessment of how realistic it is and other arms within the law, ” said the spokesperson.
The ministry stated that the ban would n’t apply to news that was published by authorized news outlets, which would allow for factual reporting on the content that was forbidden.
Additionally, it would n’t cover willing shared via private online chats or private group messages.
” Effectively, what we are trying to do here is to balance the freedom of expression, especially in the private perspective, versus the issue of falsification of what a prospect did or said,” said the MDDI director.
” For instance, if you are in a group chat with your home, it is considered personal because of the local content,” the spokesperson added.
However, if you were to join a 500-person WhatsApp group where the group’s goal is to discuss issues and present affairs, it would not be regarded as private and domestic because strange people could join it.
” Unfortunately, it will be an analysis of the relationships between people within the team. “