Social Media Platforms’ Algorithms that Amplify Scams

Question:

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government has conducted assessments on how social media platforms' algorithmic recommendation systems for organic and paid content amplify the distribution of scam content to users; and (b) whether the Government is considering to mandate that social media platforms default to display only content that individuals explicitly follow or search for.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. Under the Online Criminal Harms Act, the Police impose ex ante anti-scam requirements on online platforms. This includes measures that reduce or remove the circulation of scam content on the platforms, such as advertiser verification and user reporting. We think that this approach is more productive, compared to trying to directly assess and require changes to the platforms’ content distribution algorithms. The latter is not easy to do, and platforms must be responsible to adjust their algor ithms, systems or processes as necessary and as they deem appropriate, to comply with the Government’s anti-scam requirements.

2. We intend to further tighten the anti-scam requirements on platforms and will announce the details in due course. We do not think it is reasonable to stipulate that platforms only display content that individuals explicitly follow or request for. This cou ld prevent legitimate advertising activity, and in any case may not stop the circulation of scam ads if the ads feature content that the user had requested for.