Singapore orders Apple and Google to block government spoofing on messaging platforms
Singapore’s police have directed Apple and Google to prevent scams that impersonate government agencies on their messaging platforms, the Ministry of Home Affairs said Tuesday.
The order, issued under the Online Criminal Harms Act, follows reports of scams on iMessage and Google Messages claiming to be from agencies such as the local postal service SingPost, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
While government agencies are registered with a local SMS registry to ensure legitimacy, this protection does not currently extend to iMessage and Google Messages. The police warned that:
"Members of the public may assume that messages claiming to be from 'gov.sg' on iMessage or Google Messages are legitimate, because these messages appear alongside and are not easily distinguishable from SMSes."
Under the new directive, Apple and Google must:
Prevent accounts and group chats from displaying names that spoof “gov.sg” or other Singapore government agencies.
Filter out messages that impersonate official government sources.
Both companies have committed to complying with the order. The ministry urged users to update their apps to ensure the latest safeguards are in place.
Singapore previously threatened to fine Meta Platforms for failing to implement anti-impersonation measures on Facebook, including scams involving high-level government officials.
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