Singapore Internet Watch is a student-run group focusing on internet research. Our key focus areas include censorship, surveillance and misinformation.
We believe in the need for open data and transparency in studying contentious issues at the intersection of Singapore’s internet and society.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive a round-up of the latest developments in Singapore’s media and politics, as well as updates on our work.
Our Projects
This dataset tracks every digital communication subject to Singapore’s law against ‘fake news’, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
What is POFMA? See our POFMA explainer here.
This project compiles a continually updated list of websites blocked in Singapore.
This project aims to track how Singapore's engagement with Telegram channels has changed over time.
Resources
Our compiled list of academic research relating to Singapore internet studies.
Our compiled list of useful guides and resources on digital privacy and security relevant to civil society groups in Singapore.
About Us
Why Singapore Internet Watch?
There is a scarcity of accessible and user-friendly data relating to Singapore’s internet policy and online media. Because of this, key problems emerge:
Public understanding is limited on surveillance and censorship, the impact of government and corporate policies, and other issues which define the digital public sphere. Uncertainty regarding how information controls are used has a repressive effect on civil society.
Researchers face difficulties in analysing Singapore in their studies on censorship, media controls and other issues in internet studies. Making such data on Singapore more freely accessible allows researchers to better contextualise and understand key developments in Singapore’s internet policy and behaviours.
Policy-making and advocacy can be based on flawed assumptions. An accessible evidence base is necessary for effective civil society involvement in crucial policy debates, democratic decision-making and inclusive internet governance.
Our initiative aims to address these issues with open and transparent research.
Contribute
Have a suggestion for our datasets? As many of the issues we cover are contentious and constantly evolving, crowdsourced data and citizen contributions are an important source for our research. If you have any comments, corrections, suggestions, or news about Singapore's digital politics that you would like us to share in our monthly newsletter, please use this form to contact us.
Interested in working with us? Singapore Internet Watch is a small and project-driven group. If you have ideas for a project focusing on issues at the intersection of Singapore's internet and society (censorship, surveillance, misinformation, regulation), reach out to us via our contact form.