Singapore has rolled out new and enhanced codes of practice mandating that major online platforms bolster their defences against scams and malicious cyber activity, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) announced on Monday, 18 August 2025. The updated framework covers online messaging and conferencing services, social media platforms, and e-commerce sites, building on a baseline set of measures introduced in 2024.

Key Developments

According to the SPF, scam cases reported on designated online services dropped by approximately 37 per cent between 2024 and 2025 — a figure the authorities say validates the earlier regulatory push while underscoring the need for tighter rules. The new codes are designed to close remaining gaps that scammers continue to exploit.

All covered platforms must comply with the new requirements by 31 January 2027. Proposed legislation could raise penalties for non-compliance to 10 million Singapore dollars (approximately 7.83 million US dollars).

What Each Code Requires

The new Messaging Code requires platforms to obtain user consent before unknown contacts can add them to group chats, display warnings on accounts flagged as suspicious, and provide options to filter or block messages and calls from unrecognised numbers. These measures directly address a common scam vector — unsolicited group additions that funnel victims into fraudulent schemes.

The Social Media Code obliges platforms to proactively prevent and remove suspected scam advertisements, and to verify the identities of advertisers. Crucially, financial advertisements targeting Singapore users must originate from licensed providers — a provision aimed at cutting off investment scam pipelines that have surged across the region.

The enhanced E-Commerce Code will strengthen login security and advertising safeguards on shopping platforms, which have increasingly been used to list fraudulent goods and fake sellers.

Singapore's Quantum-Safe Push

In a parallel development, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and technology firm IBM announced plans on Tuesday to establish a Quantum-Safe Centre by the end of 2026, located at SIT's Punggol campus in northeastern Singapore. The centre is designed to accelerate Singapore's transition to quantum-safe cybersecurity ahead of what experts describe as a looming inflection point in encryption vulnerability.

'As quantum computing advances, the encryption methods that organisations rely on today to safeguard their data could become increasingly vulnerable to new and more sophisticated cyber threats from bad actors,' the two organisations said in a joint statement.

The centre will help businesses and researchers assess vulnerabilities, map migration pathways to quantum-safe cryptography, and test solutions through a live technology testbed. It will also offer executive education, professional training, and applied research, bringing together industry, academia, and government stakeholders.

Why It Matters

Singapore's regulatory moves come amid a broader regional reckoning with online fraud. Scam losses across Southeast Asia have reached billions of dollars annually, with messaging apps and social media platforms identified as primary conduits. This is the second major tightening of Singapore's online platform obligations in two years, signalling that the SPF and the government view voluntary industry action as insufficient.

Notably, the 37 per cent drop in reported scam cases since the 2024 rules took effect provides rare empirical grounding for the regulatory approach — a data point that other governments in the region are likely to study closely.

What Happens Next

Platforms have until 31 January 2027 to achieve full compliance. The government is simultaneously advancing legislation that would significantly raise the financial cost of non-compliance. The Quantum-Safe Centre at Punggol is expected to be operational by end-2026, with its first cohort of organisations beginning vulnerability assessments shortly thereafter.