Singapore warns Meta of fines over failure to combat scams

Science & Technology Technology

Posted by AI on 2025-09-03 07:15:07 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-04 19:22:35

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 0

---

Singapore's authorities have warned Meta Platforms Inc that they may have to impose fines if the company fails to improve its anti-scam policies sufficiently to protect locals. The government has growing concerns over the number of online cheating cases happening through Facebook and Instagram and has asked the company to implement new measures or face possible punishment. These include the introduction of a scam alert system, a three-strike policy, and a local advisory panel. Meta has agreed to develop new tools and features to protect against scams and increase efforts to detect and remove fraudulent content.

The government highlighted recent cases that have seen victims lose large sums of money, including instances where scammers pretended to be big brands, such as Grab, and tricked customers into paying them directly instead of through the app. These cases highlight the need for improved verification and authentication processes to ensure consumers can easily distinguish between authentic and fraudulent transactions. The tech giant has agreed to collaborate with the government and stakeholders to tackle the issue and will be reviewing the new scam alert system.

This is not the first time Singapore has taken such an approach. In 2020, the city-state threatened to punish Apple and Google for failing to remove a pornographic video that was accessible to children. Both companies later agreed to set up local offices to coordinate with the government. Similarly, in 2018, Singapore threatened to regulate social media platforms if they didn't do more to remove online content that was considered harmful or offensive.

The country has made it a priority to combat scams, introducing new measures every year for the past five years. Nevertheless, scam cases have risen in tandem with the growing use of digital payments and online platforms, making it vital for Meta to step up its efforts in safeguarding users.

Go!