Digital & technology — Topics

7 May 2024

Regulation of Charges by Banks and Payment Service Providers on Merchants using PayNow for Transactions

Hazel Poa inquired about the monitoring or regulation of charges by banks or payment service providers on merchants using PayNow, steps to prevent merchants from passing costs to consumers, and the potential for legislation to ban such charges.
Lawrence Wong responded that PayNow, launched in 2017, is widely used by over 300,000 businesses, with major banks currently waiving transaction fees for end-consumer payments, while minor fees apply only for additional services like notifications.
The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) prohibits merchants from imposing surcharges on customers using PayNow, and any violations should be reported to the merchant's PayNow Financial Institution or ABS for corrective actions, including termination of services.

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7 May 2024

Measures to Enhance Insurance Protection and Coverage for SMEs

The Prime Minister emphasized that SMEs must adopt proactive cybersecurity measures such as using the SG Cyber Safe Programme, anti-virus software, and the ScamShield app to protect against internet crimes and scams.
Insurance is currently not an effective solution for covering losses from internet crimes and scams due to the difficulty in quantifying risks and the exclusion of losses from contributory negligence.
Public vigilance and education are critical, with SMEs encouraged to subscribe to the Singapore Police Force's scams bulletin to stay updated on the latest scam typologies.
The government will continue to strengthen public education and collaborate with stakeholders to enhance protection against internet crimes and scams.
The pipeline of Singaporean actuaries managing such risks was not directly addressed in the response.

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7 May 2024

Roll-out of Smart Parking Initiative Parking@HDB

Miss Cheryl Chan requested an update on the Parking@HDB initiative, feedback on pre-enforcement alerts, areas for improvement, and the timeline for wider roll-out.
Desmond Lee reported that Parking@HDB was piloted in January 2021 in Punggol and expanded to other car parks, using smart cameras to alert motorists of illegal parking and allow automatic payment via an app.
The pilot showed a 60% reduction in illegal parking, with no adverse feedback on alerts and motorists appreciating time savings and convenience from automatic fee deduction.
HDB is refining the system, welcomes feedback, and will assess the pilot outcomes before deciding on extending it to other HDB car parks.

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7 May 2024

Facilitating Cross-learning of Anti-scam Best Practices among E-commerce Platforms

The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced the Transaction Safety Ratings (TSR) to evaluate e-commerce platforms on their anti-scam measures and worked with industry stakeholders to update national standards for better merchant authenticity and transaction security.
The Ministry is actively engaging Meta on the Online Criminal Harms Act and upcoming Codes of Practice, warning that it will take action against providers that fail to comply with requirements to protect users from scams.
The co-location of Carousell and Shopee staff at the Anti-Scam Command has improved real-time scam account screening, faster takedowns, and collaboration, with plans to engage more platforms and possibly mandate similar arrangements.

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7 May 2024

Digital Platform for Collaborative Sharing of Money Laundering, Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Information

Murali Pillai proposed expanding a digital sharing platform similar to MAS’s COSMIC to gatekeepers like law firms and accountants to better detect financial crimes and protect Singapore’s reputation.
Lawrence Wong explained that COSMIC is currently designed for banks to share information and disrupt financial crime, with strong safeguards for confidentiality and a phased rollout starting with six major banks.
The government will focus on implementing COSMIC within the banking sector first, learn from its operation, and then consider extending the model to other sectors like law and accounting firms if feasible.

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7 May 2024

Requiring Social Media Platforms to Collect Real Names to Facilitate Scam Investigations

Ms He Ting Ru asked if the Government would require social media platforms to collect real names from individuals or businesses publishing ads to help scam investigations.
The Ministry of Home Affairs will introduce binding Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act this year.
These codes will require designated online services, including social media platforms, to verify the identities of users who publish advertisements.
The measure aims to deter scammers from exploiting social media platforms and assist police in scam investigations.

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7 May 2024

Remuneration for Those who Contribute Works for National Multimodal Large Language Model Programme

Usha Chandradas questioned whether the National Multimodal Large Language Model Programme (NMLP) would remunerate writers, authors, and publishers for contributing works, along with the programme's launch steps and community engagement efforts.
Josephine Teo explained the NMLP is a nascent research programme launched in December 2023 to develop LLMs for Singapore and Southeast Asia's multilingual, multicultural context.
No remuneration has been provided so far as the programme used open government data and contributed partner content; IMDA adopts a consultative approach and has engaged the National Arts Council and SingLit Station to survey the local writer community.

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7 May 2024

Use of Data Analytics to Ascertain Accident Risks at Roads and Traffic Junctions

Dr Tan Wu Meng inquired whether LTA uses data analytics, including AI, to identify roads and junctions with higher risks of vehicle collisions and pedestrian accidents, and if it considers traffic police data, near-miss reports, and public feedback.
LTA confirmed it uses various data sources like traffic police reports and public feedback for road safety assessments, leading to tailored enhancements such as Red-Amber-Green arrows, traffic calming measures, and additional crossings.
LTA introduces about 1,000 road safety measures yearly, including Silver Zones and Friendly Streets with lower speed limits, to specifically reduce pedestrian accident risks and fatalities.

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7 May 2024

Consumer Protection and Anti-scam Safeguards for Users of E-commerce Platforms

Melvin Yong inquired if TikTok Shop would be added to the E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings and whether legislation would be considered to enforce anti-scam measures on platforms that lack them.
K Shanmugam responded that TikTok Shop is excluded from the ratings because it accounted for less than 1% of e-commerce scams in Singapore in 2023, but it will be monitored and added if warranted.
The Minister highlighted that the Online Criminal Harms Act enables the government to issue Codes of Practice requiring online services to implement anti-scam measures, with these codes to be published later in the year.
The debate centered on enhancing consumer protection through updated safety ratings and potential legislative action to ensure e-commerce platforms adhere to recommended anti-scam safeguards.
The government emphasized a monitoring approach for platforms like TikTok Shop and a legal framework to compel compliance with anti-scam measures.

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7 May 2024

Percentage of Singaporean Travellers who eRegister with Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In 2023, about 340,000 Singaporeans, representing 1.5% of travellers, eRegistered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before departing, a slight increase from 2019.
The eRegister allows Singaporeans to voluntarily provide contact details for consular assistance during emergencies abroad.
The Ministry uses Travel Advisories, press statements, social media, digital displays at HDB estates, and events like the NATAS Travel Fair to boost awareness.
Efforts to increase registration include exploring new platforms and collaborating with travel industry stakeholders.
The Ministry encourages all Singaporeans to eRegister to ensure they can receive prompt assistance if needed.

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7 May 2024

Potential Violations in Recent Mobile Guardian Data Breach Incident

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked if the PDPC will investigate potential PDPA violations in the April 2024 data breach affecting 127 schools, seek a timeline for any investigation, and consider financial penalties on responsible parties.
Mrs Josephine Teo confirmed the PDPC is currently investigating whether any private sector organisation breached PDPA obligations, noting the Ministry of Education has shared incident details.

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7 May 2024

Probe into Recent Mobile Guardian Data Breach Incident and Impact on Cybersecurity Measures for School Apps

MOE confirmed the Mobile Guardian incident involved unauthorized access to a support account via poor password management, affecting 67,000 parents and 22,000 school staff across 127 schools, but did not compromise MOE or government systems.
The Ministry has communicated with affected users, lodged a police report, and required Mobile Guardian to appoint a forensic investigator to review systems and prevent recurrence, with contractual actions to be taken if obligations are breached.
MOE reiterated its commitment to independent audits, regular cybersecurity testing, and user education to ensure the security of school IT systems and apps.

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7 May 2024

Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill

The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill updates the 2018 Cybersecurity Act to address changes in technology and threats, such as cloud computing and supply chain attacks, by expanding regulatory oversight to cover critical information infrastructure (CII), systems of temporary cybersecurity concern (STCC), entities of special cybersecurity interest (ESCI), and foundational digital infrastructure (FDI) providers.
The Bill introduces new requirements for incident reporting, including for third-party-owned CII and peripheral systems, and allows the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) to designate overseas CII if the owner is in Singapore, while ensuring accountability through legally binding commitments with third-party vendors.
To balance security and business costs, the Bill imposes lighter-touch regulations on ESCI and FDI providers compared to CII, and includes safeguards such as appeal mechanisms, penalties for non-compliance, and ongoing consultations with stakeholders to develop practical standards and implementation guidelines.

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3 Apr 2024

Provision for Deletion of Personal Data Upon Request under Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and Recourse Available to Individuals

The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) mandates organisations to cease retaining or properly dispose of personal data once it is no longer needed for its original or legitimate purposes, regardless of whether consent was given for its collection, use, or disclosure.
Individuals whose personal data was collected without consent can request deletion, but the PDPA does not explicitly grant a "right to erasure"; the obligation is tied to retention limits and the organisation's ongoing needs.
If an organisation fails to comply with deletion requests, the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) can direct it to destroy or stop processing the personal data, though individuals cannot directly sue for erasure under the current framework.

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3 Apr 2024

Capacity and Performance of NEA ePortal Based on E-Appointment Booking for Columbarium Visitors During Qing Ming Period

Hazel Poa questioned the NEA ePortal’s maximum concurrent user capacity, whether it was frequently exceeded during Qing Ming e-appointment bookings for columbarium parking, and if there are plans to upgrade the system.
Grace Fu Hai Yien responded that the NEA e-appointment system was upgraded this year to handle up to 800 concurrent users, double last year’s capacity, with additional users placed in a queue.
The system experienced technical issues on 4 March 2024, causing intermittency and longer queue times for the first two hours, but most users completed bookings within five minutes thereafter.
NEA plans to further improve the e-appointment system for Qing Ming next year.

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3 Apr 2024

Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill

The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill was introduced to amend the Cybersecurity Act 2018 and was presented by the Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, Dr Janil Puthucheary, on behalf of the Minister.
The bill underwent its First Reading and was scheduled for a Second Reading on or after 7 May 2024, with instructions for it to be printed.
The debate focused on the procedural and legislative steps necessary to update the existing cybersecurity framework in Singapore.

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3 Apr 2024

Impact on Vehicular Flow following New Registration and Security Measures at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is implementing a phased Visitor Management System (VMS) at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre to enhance security and facilitate contact tracing, with registration valid for a year and minimal on-site processing time.
SFA is engaging stakeholders and using pre-registration online to ease congestion, with plans to roll out vehicle access similarly by allowing drivers to tap their ID at the gantry without disembarking.
The government will monitor traffic and review the system based on feedback, considering suggestions like QR codes but emphasizing that existing ID-based methods are already efficient.

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3 Apr 2024

Trend in Number of Artificial Intelligence Voice-cloning Scams

The Minister of State for Home Affairs confirmed that the Singapore Police Force does not track specific voice-cloning scam numbers, as reports alleging such techniques are few, but highlighted broader anti-scam efforts like terminating thousands of fraudulent mobile and WhatsApp lines and imposing SIM card limits.
Emphasized a whole-of-society approach, urging public vigilance through the "Add, Check, Tell" strategy, while noting industry responsibilities like enhancing user verification on social platforms and messaging apps.
In response to supplementary questions, the Minister outlined ongoing educational and technological initiatives, including developing AI-based detection tools for deepfakes and voice cloning, and launching a Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety to bolster online safety capabilities.

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3 Apr 2024

Monetary Authority of Singapore's Regulatory Oversight of Central Depository and its Obligations towards Individual Customers

MAS licenses the Central Depository (CDP) and requires it to treat customers fairly, providing support channels for those less digitally literate, including in-person assistance and appointment booking.
CDP has enhanced non-digital services such as self-help booths, priority assistance for elderly customers, and options for physical notices, though MAS continues to monitor service adequacy.
The government maintains a digital-first but not digital-only approach, ensuring customers can request physical correspondence and receive help to resolve issues like account suspensions.

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3 Apr 2024

Number of Telemedicine Service Providers and Take-up Rate for Their Services

MOH approved 19 standalone telemedicine providers under the Healthcare Services Act, but does not track take-up rates or have definitive data on whether telemedicine has reduced non-emergency emergency department attendances.
Telemedicine is facilitated in primary care for chronic disease management and in specialist outpatient settings for specific conditions, with MOH committed to expanding its use in appropriate settings.
The government aims to standardise regulations and reduce cost barriers to make telemedicine a viable option where it improves care quality, convenience, and access, but does not yet have specific plans to mandate it as routine practice or offer new incentives for primary care physicians.

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