New Regulatory Framework
The Singapore Police Force (SPF), acting through the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) Office, has unveiled a comprehensive suite of anti-scam codes of practice targeting digital messaging, social media, and e-commerce services. Effective August 18, 2026, these regulations represent a significant shift in how tech giants must manage user safety within the city-state, aiming to curb a surge in financial losses that totaled over US$2.8 billion between 2020 and mid-2025.
Messaging Platform Obligations
Under the new messaging code, seven major services—WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple iMessage, Apple FaceTime, Google Messages, and Google Meet—are designated as high-risk. By January 31, 2027, these platforms must implement specific safeguards: requiring user consent before being added to groups or channels by unknown contacts, providing contextual risk warnings for suspicious accounts, and offering tools to silence or block communications from non-contacts.
A critical component of this directive addresses the growing prevalence of government impersonation scams. Platforms are required to implement anti-spoofing measures to prevent unauthorized parties from using official names or imagery. This specific requirement carries an accelerated deadline of September 30, 2026, reflecting the urgency of protecting public trust in state institutions.
Social Media and E-commerce Enforcement
Social media giants, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, face stringent new requirements regarding advertising. Platforms must now verify the identities of advertisers against government-issued records before permitting them to target Singapore-based users. Furthermore, they are mandated to block advertisements for financial services unless the advertiser is explicitly licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
E-commerce platforms such as Carousell and Facebook Marketplace face enhanced scrutiny, with new requirements for securing logins from unrecognized devices and adopting advertisement safeguards consistent with the social media code. The penalty framework for non-compliance is substantial; the government has proposed legislative amendments that could see fines reach up to S$10 million per instance of non-compliance, alongside daily fines for continued offenses.