Singapore has proposed new laws to outlaw the usage of digitally manipulated content material, particularly deepfakes, throughout elections. 

The brand new authorized steps will safeguard “the integrity and truthfulness of illustration” throughout elections, stated the Ministry of Digital Improvement and Info (MDDI) in a press release on Monday. The proposed invoice was launched in parliament and might be tabled for a second studying on the subsequent sitting. 

It goals to offer new laws to safeguard the native inhabitants in opposition to digitally manipulated content material, together with audio, video, and picture generated by synthetic intelligence (AI), in any other case often known as deepfakes. 

Developments in generative AI (Gen AI) expertise have opened up alternatives, but in addition current data dangers, with menace actors leveraging it to create and unfold misinformation, MDDI stated. It pointed to a rise in malicious deepfakes utilized in scams and extortion in Singapore.

Whereas on-line falsehoods may be handled by way of the nation’s current Safety from On-line Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, “focused levers” are essential beneath its On-line Election Promoting Act to deal with deepfakes that misrepresent candidates, the ministry stated. The latter laws defines any content material accessible on-line that may be “fairly” deemed to advertise or improve the standing of political events or candidates or prejudice the electoral prospects of different political events or candidates. 

If left unaddressed, deepfakes can compromise the integrity of Singapore’s electoral course of, MDDI stated. It added that voters ought to have the ability to make knowledgeable choices primarily based on details, not misinformation. 

The proposed legislative measures will prohibit publishing digitally generated or manipulated on-line election promoting that “realistically depicts” candidates saying or doing one thing they didn’t say or do. This consists of content material that makes use of each AI and non-AI strategies, similar to enhancing by way of picture enhancing, dubbing, or splicing. 

The brand new measures will apply solely to on-line election promoting that options people operating as candidates within the election.

The proposed laws will permit corrective instructions to be issued to people who publish such content material in addition to social media platforms, to take down offending content material. Directives can be despatched to web service suppliers to disable entry by Singapore customers to such content material through the election interval. 

Failure to adjust to corrective instructions has been deemed an offense and is punishable by a superb, imprisonment, or each if convicted. 

The invoice additionally will permit candidates to submit requests for content material to be assessed for potential breach and corrective instructions issued accordingly. Candidates who’ve been misrepresented by such content material could make a declaration to attest to the veracity of their declare, MDDI stated. 

It will likely be unlawful for candidates to knowingly make false or deceptive declarations of their request on the content material in query, the ministry stated. It added {that a} superb or different penalties could also be meted out ought to candidates be discovered to have dedicated such practices.

The Singapore authorities additionally plans to introduce a code of apply mandating particular social media suppliers to implement measures to stop and fight the usage of digitally manipulated content material on their platforms. 

Particulars for this might be established within the coming months, with discussions to happen between the regulator and social media operators, MDDI stated. 

“Past elections, deepfakes and different types of manipulated content material can pose critical hurt to on-line customers,” it stated. “Creators and distributors of AI-generated content material have a accountability to foster a protected data house, each throughout and out of doors of elections.”

Singapore is anticipated to carry its normal elections early subsequent yr or earlier than November 2025.

South Korea adopted a 90-day ban on the usage of deepfakes in political marketing campaign content material for its April 2024 legislative election.