Preventing Online Messaging Platforms from Engaging in Illegal Activities such as Sale of Prohibited Drugs

5 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs what the measures taken by the Singapore Police Force are to regulate the use of online apps, including chat groups and messaging platforms, for illegal activities, such as the sale of prohibited drugs.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been working with the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI) and other enforcement agencies to tackle illegal online activities and protect Singaporean users of online platforms. To this end, we have taken steps to strengthen legislations and impose obligations on online platforms.

For example, the Online Criminal Harms Act, otherwise known as OCHA, which MHA is operationalising progressively, empowers enforcement agencies to issue directions to online service providers, other entities or individuals, when there is reasonable suspicion that there is online activity in furtherance of specified criminal offences, such as the sale of prohibited drugs, which the Member has mentioned.

OCHA will also allow us to issue Codes of Practice to require providers of designated online services to put in place systems, processes and measures to disrupt scams and malicious cyber activities affecting people in Singapore. We will introduce the Codes of Practice this year.

Mr Speaker: Ms Yeo.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Thank you, Speaker. Given that drug syndicates and pro-recreation drug lobbyists are using messaging platforms and perhaps, maybe even social media platforms for the propagation and use of such drugs to influence our youths, how will the Ministry continue to monitor such channels being used, especially if they are closed private groups? And is there a key performance indicator (KPI) to the speed of investigation to closing down such groups? For members of the public, parents or teachers who know of or suspect such groups, where can they report these, and can they report this as anonymous whistleblowers?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. When we look at the number of illegal activities involving the use of online platforms over the past three years, we note that the number of reported scam cases, for example, involving the use of online platforms, in 2023 has more than doubled from that in 2021. In the same period, when we look at the number of suspected drug offenders who use Telegram to conduct drug transactions detected by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), it has decreased by 17%. Let me repeat that. In the same period, the number of suspected drug offenders who used Telegram to conduct drug transactions detected by the CNB has decreased by 17%.

For drug cases, the CNB continues to conduct operations against syndicates and persons who use instant messaging services or other social media platforms to facilitate their drug activities. The CNB also works closely with service providers to detect and prevent advertising of controlled drugs on their services. Members of the public can report the content using the in-app reporting function. They can also lodge a police report or notify CNB if they come across such groups online that are selling drugs. To lodge anonymous reports, members of the public can lodge i-Witness police reports, which are anonymous.

On the issue of timing, I had mentioned in the main reply that the MHA is progressively operationalising the OCHA since February 2024. The authorities can issue directions to online service providers to prevent accounts or content suspected to be involved in crime from interacting with or reaching Singapore users. The authorities can also, by written notice, require online service providers to provide information to assist in investigations or criminal proceedings. Failure to comply with the direction or written notice is an offence. We are working with the platforms to comply with the directions within 24 hours. In addition, if an online service is not compliant to the directions, the Government can also issue orders to restrict access to the service or part of the service to prevent the criminal activity and content from being assessed by persons in Singapore.

Mr Speaker: We have time for one last Parliamentary Question. Mr Yip Hon Weng.