Singapore police have ordered Apple and Google to introduce safeguards preventing criminals from impersonating government agencies on their messaging platforms, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday, reports Reuters.
The directive, issued under the Online Criminal Harms Act, follows a surge in scams conducted on Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages in which fraudsters posed as organisations such as SingPost, the national postal service.
In September, the government also warned Meta Platforms that it could face fines if it failed to implement stronger anti-impersonation measures—such as facial recognition—to curb scams on Facebook, including those involving senior government officials.
While government agencies use a verified SMS registry that ensures only authorised senders can use the “gov.sg” label, the system does not currently apply to iMessage or Google Messages.
“Members of the public may assume that messages they receive from accounts claiming to be from ‘gov.sg’ on iMessage or Google Messages are legitimate because messages sent through these platforms appear alongside and are not easily distinguishable from SMSes,” police said.
Under the order, Apple and Google must prevent accounts or group chats from displaying names that spoof “gov.sg” or other government agencies, or filter such messages out entirely.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said both companies have committed to complying with the order and urged the public to update their mobile apps so the latest security safeguards are in place.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
