Singapore to block nearly 100 social media accounts linked to Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui
The accounts posted videos alleging that Singapore is in the "pocket of a foreign actor" who was involved in the selection of the country's new Prime Minister, says the Ministry of Home Affairs.
A screengrab from a video posted on one of the accounts linked to Guo and his affiliated organisations.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Singapore will block nearly 100 social media accounts linked to exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui that it believes could launch hostile information campaigns here.
It is the first use of account restriction directions under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) since the law was passed in October 2021.
Five social media platforms — X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok — have been directed to block a total of 95 online accounts from being accessible to Singapore users, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Jul 19).
There is no evidence that any of the accounts are operated by Singaporeans, it said.
The directions were issued after the ministry identified a network of accounts linked to Guo and his affiliated organisations, known to disseminate disinformation across multiple platforms.
These accounts had published posts that alleged Singapore is "in the pocket of a foreign actor", who was "behind the scenes in the selection of Singapore’s fourth-generation leader” MHA said in a press release.
TikTok confirmed that it has complied with the directive by restricting the account for end-users in Singapore.
Meta has reviewed the identified Facebook and Instagram accounts and taken action for violations of its policies on inauthentic behavior.
Meanwhile, according to YouTube, it has blocked two accounts and terminated the other two, after a thorough review.
A check by CNA on the X platform on Saturday morning showed that the identified accounts have also been suspended.
Account restriction directions are among a suite of actions that can be taken under FICA. Individuals and organisations can also be designated as “politically significant persons” under the law.
COORDINATED ACTIONS
Between Apr 17 and May 10 this year, 92 accounts across the five platforms published over 120 posts containing videos on Singapore’s leadership transition.
The accounts are linked to Guo and his affiliated organisations, the New Federal State of China and the Himalaya Supervisory Organisation, MHA investigations found.
The New Federal State of China is a right-wing political and lobby group created by Guo and former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
Another three accounts belong to a Singapore chapter of the Himalaya Supervisory Organisation, known as Himalaya Singapore.
A 2021 study by social media analytics firm Graphika showed that Guo is at the centre of “a vast network of interrelated media entities and social media accounts that disseminate disinformation across multiple platforms”, said MHA.
The coordinated actions and precedent of using Singapore to push its agenda show that the network is willing and capable of spreading false narratives that are detrimental to the country’s interests, the ministry added.
“The timing of the coordinated posts, which coincided with the period of Singapore’s political leadership transition, is indicative of deliberate planning and actions.”
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong took over the reins from his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong on May 15 this year.
Foreign actors seeking to influence Singapore or interfere in its politics is not a new threat, MHA said.
"However, with the ubiquity of technologies such as the internet, social media and AI, it has become much easier to generate and spread content for such purposes," it said.
While many other accounts are part of Guo’s network, the 95 were identified by MHA as "they had displayed nexus to Singapore", such as posting Singapore-related videos or using Singapore-related account names, explained the ministry.
TARGETING SINGAPORE DIRECTLY
There are grounds to believe that Guo’s network could harness the 95 accounts to mount hostile information campaigns targeted directly at Singapore, said MHA.
Such campaigns can undermine the country’s sovereignty and social cohesion, it said.
“As seen in overseas incidents, they have the potential to reduce confidence in democratic processes, sow discord in communities, and undermine trust in governments and public institutions,” said the ministry.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam had authorised the issuance of the directions, after deeming that the conditions under FICA were met.
The directions will require the social media platforms to “take all reasonable steps to terminate any functionality of their services that enables interactions between the specified accounts and end-users physically present in Singapore”, said MHA.
MHA said it considers primarily the public interest when deciding on accounts to act against, and will also take into consideration accounts that are on non-mainstream or non-English platforms.
FICA assessments and actions are made on a case-by-case basis and take into account various factors, said the ministry.
These include the threat the content poses to Singapore, its salience to Singapore, the traction and potential reach, the possible objectives of the actor behind them, and the actor’s capability and propensity to engage in misinformation and disinformation.
“We urge Singaporeans to be discerning when consuming and disseminating information online. We should always fact-check the information to see if it is accurate and authentic, against a credible source,” said MHA.
