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NO. 18 OF 2019
Purpose of Act
5. The purpose of this Act is—
- (a) to prevent the communication of false statements of fact in Singapore and to enable measures to be taken to counteract the effects of such communication;
- (b) to suppress the financing, promotion and other support of online locations that repeatedly communicate false statements of fact in Singapore;
- (c) to enable measures to be taken to detect, control and safeguard against coordinated inauthentic behaviour and other misuses of online accounts and bots; and
- (d) to enable measures to be taken to enhance disclosure of information concerning paid content directed towards a political end.
Appointment of Competent Authority
6.—(1) For the purposes of this Act, the Minister may appoint as the Competent Authority—
- (a) a statutory board; or
- (b) the holder of any office in the service of Government or a statutory board.
(2) The Competent Authority must give effect to the instructions of the Minister and any Minister where prescribed by this Act.
PART 2
PROHIBITION OF COMMUNICATION OF FALSE STATEMENTS OF FACT IN SINGAPORE
Communication of false statements of fact in Singapore
7.—(1) A person must not do any act in or outside Singapore in order to communicate in Singapore a statement knowing or having reason to believe that—
- (a) it is a false statement of fact; and
