Singapore Directs Meta to Put Face Recognition Into Practice to Stop Impersonation Scams
Singapore mandates that Meta implement face recognition and anti-scam systems on Facebook, and if it fails to comply by the end of the month, it will be fined.
The Singaporean government has given Meta Platforms till the end of this month to implement face recognition technology and other measures to stop Facebook impersonation scams. As worries about scammers utilizing the site to pose as public servants grow, the action was taken.
If Meta doesn’t cooperate “without reasonable excuse,” it might be fined up to S$1 million ($776,639), the Ministry of Home Affairs said. The business may also be subject to fines of up to S$100,000 for each day after the deadline that it fails to comply.
Following a police order earlier this month mandating that Meta put anti-scam safeguards in place against phony ads, accounts, profiles, and business pages that mimic important government office holders, the directive was given on Wednesday. A timeframe for compliance was not specified in that prior order.
The ministry observed a significant rise in impersonation frauds from June 2024 to June 2025, in which con artists used government officials’ photos or videos to fabricate false posts on Facebook.
The Home Affairs government and the Singapore Police Force are nevertheless worried about the frequency of impersonation frauds in Singapore, despite Meta’s efforts to reduce their danger worldwide, including in Singapore, the government said in a statement.
Under Singapore’s Online illegal Harms Act, which went into force in February 2024, this is the first enforcement order indicating the government’s intention to hold social media companies responsible for illegal activities committed online.
A request for comment has not yet received a response from Meta.
