Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Singapore mandates Apple and Google to block government spoofing on messaging platforms, aiming to reduce scams. Public advised to update apps for new safeguards.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Singapore's police have ordered Apple [AAPL.O] and Google [GOOGL.O] to prevent the spoofing of government agencies on their messaging platforms, the home affairs ministry said on Tuesday.
The order under the nation's Online Criminal Harms Act came after the police observed scams on Apple's iMessage and Google Messages purporting to be from companies such as the local postal service SingPost.
In September, the government also threatened to impose fines on Meta Platforms [META.O] if it did not introduce measures like facial recognition to help curb impersonation scams on Facebook, including those involving key government office holders.
While government agencies have registered with a local SMS registry so only they can send messages with the "gov.sg" name, this does not currently apply to the iMessage and Google Messages platforms.
"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 iMessage and Google Messages appear alongside and are not easily distinguishable from SMSes," the police said.
Under the order, Google and Apple will need to prevent accounts and group chats from displaying names which spoof "gov.sg" and other Singapore government agencies, or filter such messages out.
The home affairs ministry said Apple and Google have committed to complying with the order, and they urged the public to update their mobile apps to ensure that the latest safeguards are in place.
(Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by David Stanway)
Spoofing is a malicious practice where a person or program impersonates another user or device to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or systems.
The Online Criminal Harms Act is legislation aimed at combating online scams and ensuring the safety of digital communications, particularly against impersonation and fraud.
Facial recognition technology is a biometric software application that can identify or verify a person by comparing and analyzing facial features from images or video.
A messaging platform is a software application that allows users to send and receive messages in real-time, often including features like multimedia sharing and group chats.
Compliance in financial services refers to the process of adhering to laws, regulations, and guidelines set by governing bodies to ensure ethical and legal operations.
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