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The Online Citizen reactivates website and social media accounts; editor Terry Xu relocating to Taiwan

The Online Citizen's licence was cancelled by IMDA in October 2021.

The Online Citizen reactivates website and social media accounts; editor Terry Xu relocating to Taiwan

The Online Citizen Asia's Terry Xu. (Photos: TODAY/Nuria Ling, Facebook/The Online Citizen)

SINGAPORE: The Online Citizen reactivated its website and social media accounts on Friday (Sep 16), with its editor Terry Xu saying he is "relocating" to Taiwan.

The alternative news website and social media accounts went offline in September last year, after the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) suspended its licence for repeatedly failing to declare all of its funding sources. 

The licence was cancelled by IMDA in October last year.

On Friday, Mr Xu posted on reactivated Facebook page and on its website. He said that he was relocating to Taiwan to "start up a news media outlet which will provide daily news coverage in Asia".

He wrote: "Both the operation of the website along with its social media platforms have been transferred to a new company that is registered in Taiwan while the old Singapore entity is in the midst of closure."

The editor added that there will be no daily news coverage from TOC as the website will be focused on providing commentaries and analysis on current affairs in Asia. He said more details will be announced "in due course".

Responding to CNA’s queries, IMDA said: "The Online Citizen’s class licence was cancelled as it had repeatedly refused to comply with the requirement to declare its funding sources, including foreign funding.

“IMDA is aware of the new foreign-based website and social media accounts."

"The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) will continue to apply," it added. 

TOC was ordered on Sep 14 last year to stop posting on its websites and social medial media accounts.

It was given two weeks to provide further information to comply with the Broadcasting Act. IMDA said TOC failed to declare all its funding sources, despite "multiple reminders and extensions". 

The website and some of its social media accounts were deactivated two days later, ahead of the deadline set by IMDA.

On Oct 15, the authority said TOC's licence has been cancelled after it repeatedly refused to declare its funding sources.

In December last year, the High Court dismissed an application by TOC to quash IMDA's orders to close its website and social media accounts. 

Source: CNA/rc(mi)

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