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Ministry of Home Affairs
Press Release

Issuance of Implementation Directive to Meta Under the Online Criminal Harms Act

29 January 2026

  1. The Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) Competent Authority sited within the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued a second Implementation Directive (ID) to Meta on 27 January 2026, to put in place measures to target scam advertisements, accounts, profiles, and/or business pages impersonating individuals on Facebook[1].

  2. Following the issuance of the first ID in September 2025, SPF observed a decrease in the number of scams on Facebook involving the impersonation of the listed key Government office holders. However, scammers have since pivoted to impersonate people not covered under the first ID.

  3. The second ID requires Meta to:

(a) Implement enhanced facial recognition measures in Singapore and prioritise the review of end-user reports from Singapore, to reduce scam advertisements, accounts, profiles, and/or business pages impersonating:

(i) Government office holders in Singapore not covered in the first ID; and

(ii) Persons in Singapore assessed by SPF to be at high risk of being impersonated. This includes impersonated persons for which Police reports have been filed.

Meta must comply with requirement (i) by 31 January 2026 and requirement (ii) by 28 February 2026.

(b) Implement facial recognition measures on notable Facebook users in Singapore, to reduce scam advertisements, accounts, profiles, and/or business pages impersonating these users. Meta is required to implement this measure in phases, with full implementation by 30 June 2026.

  1. Failure to comply with the ID without reasonable excuse would render Meta liable on conviction to a fine of up to $1 million and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of up to $100,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.

[1] The Online Criminals Harms Act (OCHA) was passed on 5 July 2023. Under the Act, the Competent Authority may issue the provider of a designated online service an Implementation Directive to put in place any system, process or measure, if it is satisfied that this is necessary or expedient to address a relevant offence under the Second Schedule.


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