Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Factors That Affect the Blocking of Websites Linked to Potential Misinformation Campaigns

Question:

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is a specific threshold of reach or impact that the Ministry considers before taking action to block websites linked to potential misinformation campaigns; (b) how effective is the blocking of these websites, considering the availability of tools like virtual private network (VPN) to circumvent such restrictions; and (c) whether there is a process for website owners to appeal or seek recourse if they believe their websites have been mistakenly blocked.

Answer:

Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development:

1. Mr Speaker, Sir, MHA does not set a threshold of reach or impact in assessing whether to pre-emptively act against threats of hostile information campaigns (HICs). In the case of ten inauthentic websites that were blocked on 22 October 2024, the level of exposure of Singaporeans to these ten websites were assessed to be low. However, based on our investigations, they could potentially be used by foreign actors to mount hostile information campaigns against Singapore. Most of these websites are associated with global networks of inauthentic news websites that have been reported by cybersecurity researchers to have conducted hostile information campaigns and influence campaigns in other countries. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) had considered MHA’s findings and was satisfied that it was in the public interest to take pre-emptive action and not wait until a hostile information campaign is mounted before acting against these websites.

2. Singaporeans should continue to remain vigilant when consuming online content and be alert to such inauthentic websites and the threat that they pose. The directions to Internet Access Service Providers to disable access to the ten inauthentic websites were issued with the intent of protecting users in Singapore from accessing and potentially being misled by these inauthentic websites. However, if individuals choose to circumvent these protections and use VPN or other means to access dubious content, they do so at their own risk. We cannot protect people who deliberately avoid the protection.

3. Under Section 59 of the Broadcasting Act, any licensee aggrieved by any decision of the IMDA may appeal to the Minister. Thank you.