SINGAPORE: Singapore on Tuesday blocked access to 10 websites linked to foreign actors which the government said could be used to mount “hostile” disinformation campaigns against the city-state.
The move comes as Singapore prepares for elections to be held before November next year.
“These 10 inauthentic websites have been observed to masquerade as Singapore websites by spoofing or using terms associated with Singapore in their domain name and incorporating familiar local features and visuals,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.
“They also carried content on Singapore, some of which were generated by artificial intelligence. These are common tactics used by malicious foreign actors: build websites which can attract a local following, that may subsequently be used as platforms to mount HICs,” it said, referring to hostile information campaigns.
Two of the websites use domain names closely related or similar to legitimate Singapore-linked websites.
They carried content “that may mislead their audience into thinking that the content is reflective of official positions or local sentiments,” MHA said.
Seven of the websites utilize the word “Singapore” or associated terms in their domain name and publish content related to the country.
The 10th presents itself as a Singapore news website, carrying mostly articles that we “were likely to have been written” using AI tools.
“These 10 inauthentic websites could potentially be used by foreign actors to mount HICs against Singapore, and it is in the public interest to issue directions... to disable access to them for users in Singapore,” MHA said.
Singapore blocks foreign-linked websites, warns against ‘hostile’ disinformation
https://arab.news/yndwq
Singapore blocks foreign-linked websites, warns against ‘hostile’ disinformation
- The move comes as Singapore prepares for elections to be held before November next year
- Two of the websites use domain names closely related or similar to legitimate Singapore-linked websites
Macron vows stronger cooperation with Nigeria after mass kidnappings
- Macron wrote on X that France “will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations”
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that France will step up cooperation with Nigeria after speaking with his counterpart, as the West African country faces a surge in abductions.
Nigeria has been wracked by a wave of kidnappings in recent weeks, including the capture of over 300 school children two weeks ago that shook Africa’s most populous country, already weary from chronic violence.
Macron wrote on X that the move came at Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s request, saying France “will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations,” while urging other countries to “step up their engagement.”
“No one can remain a spectator” to what is happening in Nigeria, the French president said.
Nigeria has drawn heightened attention from Washington in recent weeks, after US President Donald Trump said in November that the United States was prepared to take military action there to counter the killing of Christians.
US officials, while not contradicting Trump, have since instead emphasized other US actions on Nigeria including security cooperation with the government and the prospect of targeted sanctions.
Kidnappings for ransom by armed groups have plagued Nigeria since the 2014 abduction of 276 school girls in the town of Chibok by Boko Haram militants.
The religiously diverse country is the scene of a number of long-brewing conflicts that have killed both Christians and Muslims, often indiscriminately.
Many scholars say the reality is more nuanced, with conflicts rooted in struggles for scarce resources rather than directly related to religion.
