Singapore, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Singapore has introduced enhanced rules requiring major online platforms to strengthen safeguards against scams and malicious cyber activities, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said.
The new codes of practice, issued on Monday, cover online messaging and conferencing services, social media networks and e-commerce platforms. They build on measures introduced by Singapore in 2024.
The SPF said scam cases reported on designated online services declined by about 37 per cent between 2024 and 2025.
Under the new Messaging Code, platforms will be required to introduce safeguards such as obtaining user consent before unknown contacts can add them to groups. Services must also warn users about suspicious accounts and provide options to filter or block messages and calls from unknown contacts.
The Social Media Code requires platforms to prevent and remove suspected scam advertisements and verify the identities of advertisers. Financial advertisements targeting users in Singapore must also originate from licensed providers, Xinhua news agency reported.
The enhanced E-Commerce Code will introduce stronger measures covering account logins and advertising.
Platforms will have until January 31, 2027, to comply with the new requirements. Proposed legislation could increase penalties for non-compliance to as much as 10 million Singapore dollars ($7.83 million).
Singapore Plans Quantum-Safe Cybersecurity Centre
Separately, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and technology company IBM plan to establish a Quantum-Safe Centre by the end of 2026 to support the country’s transition towards quantum-safe cybersecurity.
The centre will be located at SIT’s Punggol campus in northeastern Singapore. It will help organisations assess cybersecurity vulnerabilities, adopt quantum-safe cryptography and develop expertise for the post-quantum era, the two institutions said in a statement on Tuesday.
The initiative comes amid concerns that advances in quantum computing could eventually make some encryption methods currently used to protect data vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
The centre will focus on raising awareness of quantum-related cybersecurity risks and assessing organisational preparedness by identifying vulnerabilities and developing migration pathways.
It will also provide a live testbed where businesses and researchers can evaluate quantum-safe technologies through practical use cases.
In addition, the centre will offer executive education, professional training and applied research while bringing together industry, academia and government stakeholders to strengthen Singapore’s preparedness for the post-quantum cybersecurity environment.
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