Singapore launched a new Social Media Code on Tuesday that requires platforms to verify the identities of advertisers against government records [3].
The measure aims to curb the rise of malicious cyber activity and financial fraud. Authorities are targeting the infrastructure that allows scammers to operate anonymously while reaching thousands of potential victims.
Under the new regulations, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must implement identity verification for those purchasing ads [1]. These rules took effect on Aug. 18 [3]. The government has set a deadline for full compliance by the end of January 2027 [4].
The crackdown follows significant financial losses across the city-state. Sim Ann said, "We have lost over $2.8 billion to scams from 2020 through the first half of 2026" [1].
Beyond social media advertising, the government is expanding its focus to messaging and conferencing services. Seven of these services have been designated as posing the highest scam risk [2]. The Singapore Police Force said that services such as WhatsApp and Telegram will soon have to make it harder for unknown contacts to reach users [2].
These requirements are part of a broader strategy under the Online Criminal Harms Act to dismantle the tools used for online fraud. By forcing advertisers to link their accounts to official government-issued records, the state intends to create a digital paper trail for fraudulent actors [1].
The Singapore Police Force and the Home Affairs Ministry are overseeing the rollout of these safeguards. The initiative reflects an increasing trend of government intervention in platform moderation to ensure public safety [1, 2].
“"We have lost over $2.8 billion to scams from 2020 through the first half of 2026."”
This policy marks a significant shift toward mandatory identity verification for commercial speech on social media. By removing the anonymity of advertisers, Singapore is attempting to shift the burden of fraud prevention from the end-user to the platform providers, potentially setting a regulatory precedent for other nations battling digital financial crime.
