Elections in the era of deepfakes? ELIONA is a timely Bill to stop the threat

16/10/2024
deepfake

Earlier this year, a video featuring Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoting an investment opportunity started making its rounds on the internet.

Most Singaporeans saw through the scam. However, the technology behind the video is very real. Today, anyone can create photo-realistic images, replicate voices with frightening accuracy and distort the truth. Like it or not, the age of deepfakes is upon us. And with it comes the danger of AI being used to disrupt our democratic processes.

This is a problem for Singaporeans. What will happen if voters are unable to discern fact from fiction during high-stakes periods such as the elections? Is it fair to candidates of any party if they find themselves out of the running because of deliberate and malicious misinformation?

To pre-empt these issues, Parliament has passed a Bill to combat deepfakes during the elections.

“AI-generated misinformation can seriously threaten our democratic foundations. The Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill, or ELIONA, is our carefully calibrated response… ensuring that the truthfulness of candidate representation and the integrity of our elections continues to be upheld,” said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.

In short, ELIONA will prohibit digitally generated content depicting candidates saying or doing something they did not say or do. The ban applies to the entire election period, from the issuance of the Writ to the end of Polling Day.

As for enforcing the law, the Returning Officer (RO) can now issue directions to remove such content. Social media services that fail to comply will be liable for a fine of up to $1 million.

We have always been extremely protective of Singaporeans’ democratic right to choose their government. From the very beginning, our PAP government made sure that voting was mandatory for all Singaporeans, so that everyone’s view could be captured.

With AI and deepfakes accelerating the spread of misinformation, ELIONA is another timely Bill by a responsive and responsible PAP government.

After all, it is only fair that voters are not exposed to misleading content. Instead, they must be able to make informed choices during the elections. As for candidates who have put themselves forward to serve, it is only fitting that they, regardless of political party, do not fall prey to a disinformation campaign that seeks to discredit them.

Ultimately, ELIONA is a Bill that seeks to keep our elections free and fair. By extending the powers of the bill to the Returning Officer, it demonstrates the strength and impartiality of our national institutions, and in the neutrality of our highly regarded civil service.

With the rise of deepfake technology, Singapore must stay prudent and not allow AI to hijack our democracy.

“We introduced this Bill after careful study of global trends, and a realistic assessment of what could happen during Singapore’s elections if we left this threat unchecked,

“Together, we can ensure that deepfakes and other digitally generated and manipulated content do not prejudice the fair and free elections that Singaporeans deserve,” said Ms Teo.

Photo Source: Canva/ MDDI