The posts from a China-based platform have sought to tap into unease on unemployment and ‘play on existing prejudices’, an analyst says
4-MIN READ4-MINJean IauPublished: 9:00am, 10 Jun 2026Singapore’s move to ban anti-Indian social media posts reportedly from a China-based platform highlights how foreign actors are preying on racial lines in the city state.Analysts warn that this new battleground for disinformation is being “weaponised” against the country’s multiracial society.
On Saturday, the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it ordered social media giants YouTube, Facebook and X to block access to 14 online posts after investigations showed that the content most likely originated from a “China-based platform” and was later shared on other sites.
Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), noted that hostile actors would target issues that could divide society and elicit strong emotions, including xenophobia and racism, after identifying such areas of vulnerability.
“Presently, there is an unease about employment and perceptions about people from India coming over to take local jobs,” Chong said, adding that “latent” racist sentiments were being weaponised.
