SINGAPORE: If the number of scams reported on the aforementioned platforms “does not drop significantly,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will mandate that Facebook and Carousell authenticate each seller on their platforms.
The ministry will evaluate the effectiveness of both e-commerce platforms’ efforts only to confirm the identity of sellers they deem “risky” over six months. MHA will then mandate that they impose user verification requirements on all sellers if the scam situation does not improve.
MHA stated on Friday (Jun 21) that this is part of the second set of provisions under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), which was passed in Parliament in July of last year. The new regulations will go into effect on June 24.
OCHA focuses on internet content that encourages fraudulent and malevolent online activity. As part of the most recent measures, authorities will release two codes of practice, one for online communication services and another for e-commerce services.
This code requires the providers of these online services to put in place procedures, systems, or other measures to identify and stop scams. To prevent fake accounts or bots, they must use “reasonable” verification methods. They must also require strong login verification and submit an annual report on the implementation of these measures. By December 31st, providers of online communication services must abide by the code.
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