Singapore’s media regulator has rescinded the license of a local political blog for failing to declare its funding sources – a requirement in a city-state that has tightened its rules to prevent foreign influence in its political affairs. The Online Citizen (TOC), founded 15 years ago, had styled itself as an alternative voice to mainstream local media, which many people in Singapore see as pro-government.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sued the site’s editor and one of its writers for defamation. On Friday, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority stated that TOC, which allowed voluntary subscriptions, had since 2019 not fully complied with rules. It stated that registered sites that engage in political discussion of Singapore issues must be transparent about their funding “to prevent such sites from being controlled by foreign actors… and to ensure that there is not foreign influence in domestic politics.”
