Singapore Threatens to Fine Meta Over Facebook Impersonation Scams

Singapore has given Meta Platforms (META.O) until the end of this month to roll out stronger safeguards, including facial recognition tools, to combat impersonation scams on Facebook, the government said on Thursday.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said Meta could face fines of up to S$1 million (US$776,639) if it fails to comply “without reasonable excuse.” It added that after the deadline, the company could be fined up to S$100,000 per day until corrective action is taken.

The directive was issued to Meta on Wednesday. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Earlier this month, Singapore police ordered Meta to introduce anti-fraud measures targeting ads, accounts, profiles, and business pages on Facebook that impersonate senior government officials. At the time, no compliance deadline was given.

The ministry said scams involving fake ads and accounts misusing videos and photos of government officials on Facebook have surged between June 2024 and June this year.

“While Meta has taken steps globally, including in Singapore, to mitigate the risks of such scams, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Singapore Police Force remain concerned about their prevalence here,” the statement said.

The order marks the first enforcement action under Singapore’s new Online Criminal Harms Act, which came into effect in February 2024.

($1 = 1.2876 Singapore dollars)