Singapore directs Apple and Google to block or filter accounts impersonating government agencies on their messaging platforms, with fines of up to SGD 1 million for non-compliance.
SINGAPORE: Singapore police have ordered Apple and Google to prevent scams impersonating government agencies on their messaging platforms.
The tech giants must block or filter accounts and group chats that mimic Singapore government agency identities on Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages by the end of November.
This directive is part of efforts to protect the public from rising scams, according to the city-state’s home affairs ministry.
The ministry said Apple and Google “have indicated that they will comply” with the order.
The order also demands changes to how profile names of unknown senders are displayed.
Government agencies have been using the “gov.sg” message ID to help recipients verify legitimate communication.
Scammers have been exploiting the lack of some safeguards on messaging platforms to use this identifier fraudulently.
The home affairs ministry said there was “a need to put in place measures to deter the abuse of iMessage and Google Messages by scammers”.
If the companies fail to comply, they could face fines of up to SGD 1 million.
Google said it was “collaborating with the government to implement pre-emptive measures to help prevent the spoofing of government agencies’ names” on its messaging platform.
“We share Singapore’s goal of keeping Singaporeans safe online,” Google said in a statement.
Apple could not immediately be reached for comment.
Singapore police had previously ordered Meta to clamp down on a growing number of scammers pretending to be government officials on Facebook.
