Authorities have disabled access to 10 inauthentic websites created by foreign actors.

These websites could be used to launch hostile information campaigns (HIC) against Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said in a joint statement on Tuesday (Oct 22).

The Broadcasting Act allows authorities to issue instructions to take action against content that does not comply with regulations.

Investigations revealed that these inauthentic websites were designed to look like real Singapore websites through their domain names and incorporating familiar local features and visuals.

Two of the banned websites used domain names similar to popular local websites, such as www.zaobaodaily.com, a name similar to Chinese local media outlet Lianhe Zaobao.

Content on both websites may mislead readers about official positions or local sentiments, authorities said.

Seven other websites used the word “Singapore” and other associated terms, such as Singapura, Singdao and Lioncity, in their domain name.

These websites published Singapore-related content that was identical to other foreign news agencies that conduct HICs against other countries.

A website called Alamak.io carried Singapore-related content that paraphrased articles published by major local media outlets. The majority of articles on this website were probably written using artificial intelligence tools.

This website also posted comments on socio-political issues, including one that falsely claimed that Singapore allowed other countries to conduct biological warfare research.

Banned websites associated with networks that previously conducted HIC

Most of the websites in the above-mentioned list were associated with global networks of inauthentic news sites that previously conducted HIC and influence campaigns in other countries, the IMDA and MHA said.

These inauthentic, China-based news sites shared pro-Beijing disinformation and ad hominem attacks while hiding them in large amounts of commercial content, according to a 2024 study by university research lab The Citizen Lab.

These networks were also discovered by cybersecurity company Mandiant in 2022 as spreading pro-PRC content under the guise of independent media outlets from different parts of the world.

Preventive measures taken in public interest: MHA

MHA told AsiaOne on Tuesday that no Singaporeans were involved in operating these websites and that the level of exposure of these sites was currently low.

The ministry’s investigations also show that the websites did not mount a HIC against Singapore.

“However, the websites could potentially be used to launch HICs against Singapore in the future. It is therefore in the public interest to take preventive measures against them,” the ministry said.

In the joint statement, authorities also urged Singaporeans to remain vigilant against inauthentic websites when consuming content online.

Currently, there is no provision in the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, 2021 to take pre-emptive action against websites, whether genuine or not.

For example, an account restriction instruction, which is an advance instruction, can only be given to a social media service and/or electronic service provider, but not to websites.

The government is currently reviewing FICA to see how to fix this.

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