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Critic say new bill expands state censorship under guise of ‘online protection’
The Singapore government is seeking to push through new legislation that, while ostensibly designed to protect citizens from online harm, is being disparaged by critics, including the NGO Civicus Monitor, as political cover to expand state censorship powers, further entrenching government ministers as the arbiters of truth.
If history is any guide, the proposed measure, introduced on October 15 and officially titled the “Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill” (OSRA), is likely to go into effect following the obligatory parliamentary debate. It adds to the restrictions to free expression found in its 2019 predecessor, known as the “Fake News” law, officially titled the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, or POFMA, cloaking efforts by the government to control narratives and suppress politically damaging material from being widely disseminated online.
“Singaporean authorities frequently use overly broad and restrictive laws to silence criticism of the government and restrict the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said the New York-based Human Rights Watch in its 2025 World Report, including not only POFMA but the Hostile Information Campaigns provisions of the Foreign Interference (Counter-Measures) Act (FICA), “which grants the home minister broad powers to require the removal or disabling of online content, publication of mandatory messages drafted by the government, banning of apps from being downloaded in Singapore, and disclosure of information by internet and social media companies.”…
