Singapore brings first criminal prosecutions under online falsehoods law

In March and April, Singapore brought the first criminal prosecutions of individuals under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) since it entered into force in 2019. Government critic Jay Ish’haq Rajoo was charged on 11 March with communicating false statements in online videos, while anti-death penalty activist Kokila Annamalai was charged on 23 April with failing to comply with a correction direction requiring her to add a notice linking to the government’s clarification to a social media post. Rights groups described the cases as an escalation in the use of POFMA, which had previously been enforced mainly through correction and related directions. Both prosecutions remain pending, with no trial or judgment dates publicly announced.  

Sources:  Human Rights Watch, Channel News Asia, The Straits Time