Hundreds of fake Facebook accounts and bots are circulating anti-PAP and anti-WP content before Singapore’s upcoming General Election.
These anonymous Facebook profiles post misinformation, half-truths, and partisan opinions targeting both the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Workers’ Party (WP).
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) confirmed on April 22, 2025, that it is investigating these accounts. The ministry is monitoring these recently created online profiles that target various political parties.
MDDI stated it will watch for foreign interference and act against content that breaks Singaporean law.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) identified a spike in negative comments from unverifiable Facebook accounts aimed at figures from both WP and PAP over the past week.
CNA detected 409 suspicious posts and comments from 149 profiles on April 20, 2025, following articles on the PAP’s blog, Petir, and related media coverage.
These posts contained repeated anti-WP and anti-PAP slogans, insults, and false information about candidates’ credentials.
About 75% of these posts appeared on a single day, with many coming after Petir published articles at 1pm.
Analysis showed that 90 of the 149 Facebook accounts were fake. The other 59 were manually checked and also found to be bots.
These accounts often posted multiple comments quickly. One bot account made 16 comments in about 90 minutes.
This behavior shows coordinated “bot swarming,” where fake accounts post at the same time to flood comment sections.
CNA also reviewed user comments on 10 Facebook posts by CNA, Mothership, and The Straits Times over several days.
Of 3,428 comments, about 47% (1,608 posts) came from suspicious or fake accounts. A total of 581 fake accounts created most of these posts.
The bots typically posted either anti-PAP or anti-WP messages, creating an impression of widespread public participation.
Some bots changed their Facebook profile names between posts. For example, an account named “Jamal Bashir” in early posts on WP’s Harpreet Singh Nehal later changed to “Vince Varun” when commenting on PAP retirements.
Another account, “Teck Beng Tan,” was shortened to “Tan TB.” CNA tracked these accounts despite their attempts to hide their fake nature.
Similar activity was found on TikTok. Several accounts produce anti-establishment content, including videos targeting Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
These videos use image macros and AI-generated voice-overs to repeat partisan remarks in short formats. The origin of these accounts is unknown, and it’s unclear if their operators are in Singapore.
Signs of fake accounts include recent creation dates, few connections, and focus on attacking political parties or candidates.
These accounts rarely post personal photos or other content typical of real users. Bots are managed by people who control multiple fake accounts, often posting similar comments with small changes to avoid detection.
Both behaviors violate Facebook’s community standards.
The Elections Department (ELD) has announced new rules for GE2025 in response to fake accounts and manipulated content. For the first time, a law bans fake or digitally altered online material that misrepresents candidates.
The Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) Act prohibits publishing digitally generated or manipulated content that realistically misrepresents a candidate’s speech or actions during the election period.
All online advertisements must show the names of those involved in publishing them, and paid ads must indicate sponsorship.
Singaporeans will vote on May 3, 2025.
