Singapore’s ‘fake news’ laws stop Google accepting political ads as election looms
- People’s Action Party has been in power since 1965 and says Singapore is vulnerable to foreign interference. Critics say measures stifle dissent
- Facebook is still accepting political advertisements in Singapore although government has brought pressure to bear over political content
In email correspondence between the Singapore Democratic Party and a senior Google public policy official, the tech firm said it “will not accept advertising regulated by the Code of Practice for Transparency of Online Political Advertisements”.
The code applies to “all advertisement or paid content that can reasonably be regarded as being directed towards a political end”.
In the correspondence shared with media in a statement by SDP, Google’s vice-president, Government Affairs and Public Policy, APAC, Ted Osius, said: “This was not an easy decision to make as Google is committed to delivering useful and relevant election-related information to users around the world.”
Singapore, which has been ruled by the People’s Action Party since independence in 1965, has repeatedly said it is vulnerable to foreign interference in its domestic affairs.
