Key points
- Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered Meta to implement facial recognition and other measures to combat impersonation scams on Facebook by the end of the month.
- Failure to comply will result in a fine of S$1 million, plus an additional S$100,000 per day in penalties.
- The order follows a significant rise in impersonation scams on Facebook targeting government officials.
- This is the first enforcement action under Singapore’s Online Safety (Online Harms) Act, enacted in February 2024.
Singapore has issued a stern warning to Meta Platforms, demanding that the company implement anti-impersonation measures on its Facebook platform by the end of October. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced a deadline for Meta to introduce measures, including facial recognition technology, to curb the rising tide of scams exploiting the platform.
Failure to comply will incur a hefty penalty of up to S$1 million (approximately $776,639 USD), along with daily fines of S$100,000 that will be imposed after the deadline has passed.
The MHA cited a concerning surge in impersonation scams between June 2024 and June 2025, in which fraudsters used manipulated images and videos of government officials to lure victims into fraudulent schemes. These scams targeted Facebook advertisements, accounts, profiles, and business pages.
While acknowledging Meta’s previous efforts to address impersonation scams globally, the MHA expressed persistent concerns about the prevalence of these activities within Singapore.
This directive marks the first enforcement action under Singapore’s new Online Safety (Online Harms) Act, which came into effect in February 2024. The Act empowers the government to compel online platforms to take proactive steps against harmful content and activities.
A prior order issued earlier this month to Meta, requesting similar anti-scam measures, lacked a specific deadline. As of yet, Meta has not offered a public comment on the latest directive from the Singaporean government.
The stringent deadline and substantial penalties highlight Singapore’s commitment to combating online fraud and protecting its citizens from sophisticated impersonation scams. The case highlights the growing pressure on social media platforms to assume greater responsibility for the content hosted on their platforms and actively combat the spread of malicious activity.
