Singapore orders social media sites to block 95 accounts linked to Guo Wengui
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- 14 Aug 2024
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Singapore has ordered social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X, to block accounts linked to self-exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, who is based in the U.S. Guo, known for his fierce criticism of the Chinese Communist Party and association with right-wing figure Steve Bannon, was recently convicted of defrauding customers of over $1 billion in a New York federal court. He faces a lengthy prison sentence.
The Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) invoked a law against foreign interference to issue the order, targeting 95 accounts belonging to Guo and his affiliated organizations. This action follows allegations made by Guo that Singapore was under the influence of a "foreign actor," which local media identified as China. Specifically, Guo claimed that this foreign influence was behind the selection of Singapore's new Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, who succeeded Lee Hsien Loong in April.
Guo was arrested by the FBI in March 2023 at his Manhattan apartment, with accusations of using his online presence to defraud thousands of investors. The MHA stated that Guo and his affiliates had coordinated social media posts between April and May 2023, spreading narratives that Singapore was under the control of a foreign power and that this influence played a role in Wong's rise to power.
The MHA referred to a 2021 study by social media analytics firm Graphika, which positioned Guo at the center of a vast disinformation network across multiple platforms. The Ministry noted that the timing and coordination of the April-May social media posts suggested deliberate planning, raising concerns that Guo's network could potentially launch targeted information campaigns against Singapore.
