The Online Citizen's operator to be barred from financial benefit for two more years over repeated falsehoods

SINGAPORE: The Online Citizen's (TOC) website and social media pages have once again been designated as Declared Online Locations (DOLs) over repeated falsehoods.

The declaration under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) applies to TOC's website and its pages on Facebook, Instagram, and X. It will prohibit TOC's operator from receiving financial benefits from running the pages for another two years, said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) on Wednesday (Jun 11).

This is the second such declaration against TOC following a similar one in July 2023. The new declaration will come into effect on Jul 22, after the existing one expires, and will remain in force until noon on Jul 21, 2027, MDDI added.

The ministry said the renewed designation was necessary as TOC had continued to spread falsehoods over the past two years, including on topics such as the death penalty and financial and social assistance schemes.

"Members of the public are advised to be aware of TOC’s history of communicating falsehoods on its online platforms, and to fact-check information published on these online locations," it added.

An online location such as a website or webpage is declared as a DOL if it has carried three or more different false statements of fact that are the subject of active POFMA directions. At least three statements must also have been communicated to the online location in the six months before the DOL declaration.

RECENT POFMA ORDERS

In December 2024, a POFMA correction direction was issued to TOC after it published an article and social media posts that insinuated that parties, including ministers, are allowed to transact Good Class Bungalos away from public scrutiny or government oversight.

In February, a correction direction was issued after TOC published an article and social media posts that made false statements about the rental of and works carried out at 26 Ridout Road. 

"Despite the current declaration, TOC has continued to communicate falsehoods through its online platforms over the past two years ... a new declaration is therefore necessary to ensure Singaporeans continue to be alerted to TOC’s record of communicating falsehoods," said MDDI.

Under the order, TOC must carry a notice on each of its pages to alert readers that it has been declared a DOL, that it had communicated multiple falsehoods and that viewers should exercise caution when using it for information.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

MDDI said that the conditions of the new declaration are unchanged from the current one. TOC's online platforms are also not required to cease operations.

Digital advertising service providers must "take reasonable steps" to ensure that paid content on TOC's platforms is not communicated in Singapore.

Individuals and companies are also not allowed to provide financial support to TOC's sites to avoid promoting the spread of falsehoods on these platforms.

TOC's operator may apply to the Minister for Digital Development and Information to suspend, vary or cancel the declaration. If the Minister refuses the application, an appeal can be made to the High Court.

There are currently three other sites that are marked as DOLs. They are the websites and social media pages of Transformative Justice Collective, Gutzy Asia and Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam.