Outcry as Google bans political advertising in Singapore as election looms

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – A Google ban on political advertising in Singapore has sparked outrage, ahead of a widely expected election.

The tech giant said it would no longer accept political ads as of 2 December, as they are regulated under a new “fake news” law in the city-state.

But an opposition political party said the move would “deprive” Singapore voters of information.

It said it was “highly dependent on social media and the internet” to reach would-be voters.

Singapore’s local media environment is highly controlled, with state-linked media outlets dominating the scene.

The Singapore Democratic Party said this control meant the internet and social media were one of the few ways it could reach possible voters.

Earlier in October, Singapore introduced a law that enables the government to order online platforms to remove and correct what it deems to be false statements that are “against the public interest”.

The next general election in Singapore must be held by April 2021, but is widely expected to take place in 2020. (Courtesy – BBC)