First application of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act targets a network associated with exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui.
On July 19, 2024, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) mandated five social media platforms to block 95 accounts linked to Guo Wengui, a self-exiled Chinese businessman and vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The accounts were found to disseminate coordinated posts alleging that Singapore is under Chinese influence, raising concerns about potential hostile information campaigns directed at the nation.
The MHA stated that these accounts had published over 120 posts between April 17 and May 2024, coinciding with the announcement of Singapore’s political leadership transition, which involved then Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong becoming prime minister. Posts included statements suggesting that Singapore was “in the CCP’s back pocket,” often featuring videos of Guo speaking in Mandarin or using automated English voiceovers.
Of the 95 accounts, 92 were directly linked to Guo and organizations associated with him, such as the New Federal State of China and the Himalaya Supervisory Organisation. The remaining three accounts were related to a local chapter of the Himalaya Supervisory Organisation in Singapore. MHA reported that there is currently no evidence linking these accounts to Singaporean operators.
MHA emphasized that Guo’s network had consistently spread false narratives harmful to Singapore’s interests, particularly around the time of the political transition. These narratives included unfounded claims regarding the Chinese government hiding money in Singapore.
Guo Wengui, who fled to the United States in 2014, has gained notoriety as a critic of the Chinese government but was recently convicted in the U.S. for defrauding his followers of over $1 billion. His expansive network, as detailed in a 2021 study by Graphika, is characterized by its ability to disseminate disinformation across various platforms while employing an ever-evolving array of media entities.
The action taken by MHA marks the first implementation of Singapore’s Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica) to compel social media providers to block accounts potentially used for hostile information campaigns.
