Singapore moots legislation to outlaw use of deepfakes during elections

Singapore has proposed new laws to outlaw the usage of digitally manipulated content material, particularly deepfakes, throughout elections. 

The brand new authorized steps will safeguard “the integrity and truthfulness of illustration” throughout elections, mentioned the Ministry of Digital Growth and Data (MDDI) in an announcement on Monday. The proposed invoice was launched in parliament and shall be tabled for a second studying on the subsequent sitting. 

It goals to supply new laws to safeguard the native inhabitants towards digitally manipulated content material, together with audio, video, and picture generated by synthetic intelligence (AI), in any other case referred to as deepfakes. 

Developments in generative AI (Gen AI) know-how have opened up alternatives, but additionally current info dangers, with menace actors leveraging it to create and unfold misinformation, MDDI mentioned. It pointed to a rise in malicious deepfakes utilized in scams and extortion in Singapore.

Whereas on-line falsehoods may be handled by means of the nation’s current Safety from On-line Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, “focused levers” are needed beneath its On-line Election Promoting Act to handle deepfakes that misrepresent candidates, the ministry mentioned. The latter laws defines any content material accessible on-line that may be “fairly” deemed to advertise or improve the standing of political events or candidates or prejudice the electoral prospects of different political events or candidates. 

If left unaddressed, deepfakes can compromise the integrity of Singapore’s electoral course of, MDDI mentioned. It added that voters ought to be capable of make knowledgeable selections primarily based on info, not misinformation. 

The proposed legislative measures will prohibit publishing digitally generated or manipulated on-line election promoting that “realistically depicts” candidates saying or doing one thing they didn’t say or do. This consists of content material that makes use of each AI and non-AI strategies, corresponding to modifying by way of picture modifying, dubbing, or splicing. 

The brand new measures will apply solely to on-line election promoting that options people operating as candidates within the election.

The proposed laws will permit corrective instructions to be issued to people who publish such content material in addition to social media platforms, to take down offending content material. Directives may also be despatched to web service suppliers to disable entry by Singapore customers to such content material in the course of the election interval. 

Failure to adjust to corrective instructions has been deemed an offense and is punishable by a high-quality, imprisonment, or each if convicted. 

The invoice additionally will permit candidates to submit requests for content material to be assessed for potential breach and corrective instructions issued accordingly. Candidates who’ve been misrepresented by such content material could make a declaration to attest to the veracity of their declare, MDDI mentioned. 

It will likely be unlawful for candidates to knowingly make false or deceptive declarations of their request on the content material in query, the ministry mentioned. It added {that a} high-quality or different penalties could also be meted out ought to candidates be discovered to have dedicated such practices.

The Singapore authorities additionally plans to introduce a code of observe mandating particular social media suppliers to implement measures to forestall and fight the usage of digitally manipulated content material on their platforms. 

Particulars for this shall be established within the coming months, with discussions to happen between the regulator and social media operators, MDDI mentioned. 

“Past elections, deepfakes and different types of manipulated content material can pose critical hurt to on-line customers,” it mentioned. “Creators and distributors of AI-generated content material have a duty to foster a secure info house, each throughout and out of doors of elections.”

Singapore is anticipated to carry its common elections early subsequent 12 months or earlier than November 2025.

South Korea adopted a 90-day ban on the usage of deepfakes in political marketing campaign content material for its April 2024 legislative election.