In Singapore, the government has taken steps to address the issue of AI-generated election disinformation by introducing the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act. This legislation prohibits the creation and dissemination of digitally generated or manipulated content that realistically depicts a candidate saying or doing something they did not.
Former President Halimah Yacob recently reported a deepfake video criticizing her to the police, highlighting the ease with which AI tools can be used to create such manipulated content. The Singaporean authorities have warned that online campaigning during the upcoming General Election will involve a high volume of social media and private messaging service discussions, with a focus on preventing misinformation and disinformation.
To combat this, they advise individuals to verify information against official sources before forwarding or reposting it, making it harder for malicious actors to create fake accounts and automate posting. The authorities are also urging social media platforms to enhance their content moderation efforts to prevent the spread of false information, including implementing measures to detect and remove deepfakes and other forms of manipulated content.