Given how elections are increasingly digital, new cyber-security risks are emerging and being amplified. - ST
SINGAPORE: As the 2025 General Election approaches, the risk of digital interference – whether subtle or overt – is once again under scrutiny.
Political parties here said they have stepped up efforts to secure their data and digital infrastructure, while tech platforms have moved to act more decisively against falsehoods and manipulated content. The Government has also signalled its intent to be vigilant against electoral misinformation.
Observers told The Straits Times that the coming election could become a key test of Singapore’s resilience – not just to cyber threats, but to the broader challenge of keeping its political processes free from foreign influence and racially divisive narratives.
Given how elections are increasingly digital, with candidates and parties taking to social media to make their case to the electorate, new cyber-security risks are emerging and being amplified, said James Cook, Asia-Pacific group vice-president at DigiCert, a digital security company.
Eugene Tan, an associate research fellow from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said politicians are also more vulnerable during this period, especially in the face of disruptions or negative narratives.
He flagged the threat posed by state-linked threat actors, who are “always present” and looking for an opening to disrupt the Republic’s activities.
Such groups may see election season as the best time to strike, given Singapore’s short election campaign period, typically of nine days, which may not be enough time to investigate cyber incidents.
Tan said Singaporeans should not preclude the possibility of distributed denial-of-service attacks that aim to disrupt crucial web services, or even hack-and-leak attacks against politicians, as has occurred in the United States and elsewhere.
Observers added that state-sponsored actors may also attempt to sway election results in favour of candidates or parties that align with their national interests, or to destabilise countries through disinformation campaigns or cyber attacks.
Such attempts have been seen during recent elections in the US and in Romania in December 2024, when the country annulled its presidential election after detecting a foreign-backed disinformation campaign.
Singapore is not immune to this. During the 2023 Presidential Election, racially charged claims surfaced on Chinese platforms like Xigua, WeChat and Kuaishou.
These included posts that said “Singapore is a Chinese country” and should be led by Chinese leaders, and an article titled “After Lee Hsien Loong retires, Singapore may fall into the hands of Indians”.
A Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman said such content reflected the racial bias of foreign audiences, and there was no evidence of bots or coordinated attempts to sway public opinion in these incidents
But such content could spill over into Singapore’s information space and stir up or be exploited to stir up contentious narratives and incite social disorder, he said.
“We should therefore be circumspect about the information that we consume and not let our judgment be clouded during politically charged periods, such as during elections,” he added.
MHA said the authorities will not hesitate to respond to acts of foreign interference against Singapore
The spokesman pointed out how Singapore in October 2024 blocked 10 websites that the authorities said could be used to mount hostile information campaigns here.
Sean Tan, a senior analyst at RSIS, said that foreign interference and generative artificial intelligence (AI) pose the most significant threats, as they can drive election disinformation campaigns.
He is from the Cyber and Homeland Defence Programme at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) at RSIS.
To counter foreign interference attempts, Singapore has the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica) to allow the authorities to act against foreign entities, including social media companies, that deliberately manipulate algorithms to influence domestic politics.
The law, which came into full force in December 2023, empowers the Government to issue technical assistance directions that require parties to disclose information to the authorities to investigate if there is an ongoing hostile information campaign, and whether the content originates from a foreign source.
It also enables the authorities to issue directives against content or accounts involved in such campaigns.
Falsehoods considered to be against the public interest can be countered using the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma). This law allows the Government to issue correction notices, remove content or block access to sites spreading misinformation.
Dr Zhang Xue, a research fellow at CENS who studies misinformation and disinformation, said that such an anti-fake news law is crucial during elections so that only accurate and reliable information reaches the public.
She cited a survey conducted by the centre which found that out of more than 1,000 responses, more than half agreed or strongly agreed that Pofma was effective in reducing the spread of online falsehoods.
Additionally, in each of the ten Pofma use cases, over 80 per cent of respondents indicated they trusted the Pofma clarification over the original post.
To further protect elections, Singapore has introduced a new tool: the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Act, which came into force in January 2025. This new law prohibits the publication of online content that realistically depicts a candidate saying or doing something that he did not.
This includes misinformation generated using AI, or deepfakes, and content made using non-AI techniques like Photoshop, dubbing and splicing.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information told ST that the new law is part of the Government’s broader efforts to tackle various forms of harmful online content.
“While there are exemptions for communications of a private and domestic nature, the law allows the Government to act against prohibited content communicated on encrypted messaging platforms, including content circulating within groups that are easily accessible by the public,” he said.
He added that the Government has been working with major technology firms and social media platforms – including Google, Meta, X, and TikTok – to manage the risks posed by electoral misinformation.
Political parties have also been stepping up their defences against online threats. A spokesperson for the PAP said that misinformation and AI-generated deepfakes are growing concerns globally – and Singapore is no exception.
She said People’s Action Party MPs have been raising their concerns and suggestions on online safety in Parliament.
“We encourage Singaporeans to verify information with trusted sources like the PAP official website and social media accounts,” she added.
A spokesperson for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) said the party expects to be targeted by bad actors, and that constant vigilance and swift action have become the norm. She added that the PSP has implemented best practices to secure its communication systems, including two-factor authentication and encrypted messaging.
“We have, within the ranks of the PSP membership, professionals who are experts in the field of cyber security who have provided their expertise and talents in ensuring that our cyber presence is safe and robust,” she said.
The Workers’ Party did not respond to queries from ST.
Tech platforms say that they have outlined extensive measures to protect the integrity of GE2025. A Meta spokesperson said the tech conglomerate deploys advanced security operations, works with fact-checkers like news organisations, and enforces strict rules on political ads and misinformation.
The spokesman added that Meta’s platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram, also require advertisers to verify local residency to prevent foreign interference and has boosted transparency around generative AI use.
TikTok said it removes false information about electoral processes and bans political advertising and monetisation. It also has partnered with AFP in Singapore to verify content and the platform provides users with reliable election-related information.
Google, meanwhile, elevates authoritative sources in Search and YouTube. Rachel Teo, head of government affairs in Singapore at Google, told ST that the company disallows political ads in Singapore, and uses SynthID – an invisible watermark embedded in AI-generated content – to help trace the origins of media.
It also requires creators to disclose realistic AI-generated content and applies prominent labels to such material, especially when related to sensitive topics like elections.
Experts, tech platforms, and political parties may differ on tactics, but they broadly agree on one key point: digital literacy remains one of the most powerful tools against online threats.
Cook said that regular cyber-security training for campaign staff can further strengthen defences against phishing and disinformation tactics.
RSIS’s Tan recommends that political parties and candidates secure their e-mail servers and communication channels.
MHA’s spokesman said that the authorities will also put out advisories to candidates about the threat of foreign interference and cyber-security risks for GE2025, as they have done for previous elections, he added.
“The best defence against foreign interference, however, is an aware and discerning public. As such, there are also efforts to raise the awareness of Singaporeans about foreign interference in the lead-up to GE2025,” he said. - The Straits Times/ANN
