Previous 84 / 111 Next

Surveillance is also an issue of concern in Singapore. In 2021, following Apple’s issuance of a threat notification to some iPhone users around the world for possible infiltration of spyware, the opposition Workers’ Party chairperson, Sylvia Lim, announced in the parliament that she also received the notification. Law and home affairs minister, K. Shanmugam, countered that her phone was not hacked by state agencies, and asked her to come to his ministry to conduct an investigation309. Lim later decided not to pursue the claim310. The threat notification that Lim claimed to receive was part of Apple’s efforts to inform users that they may have been targeted by state-sponsored attackers311. The notification is consistent with a Reuters report in 2022 that states including the Singaporean government were the clients of QuaDream, a now-defunct surveillance technology firm that sells spyware. Its technology is similar to the more well-known Pegasus spyware produced by the NSO Group. The company’s mobile device hacking tools are used against dissidents and those in their close circles around the world. Following the information, Workers’ Party MP, Leon 309 310 311 312 313 Perera, asked the parliament whether the government is a client of QuaDream or other sellers of similar technology, and whether it was deployed in the country. The government responded by saying it “could not and should not” discuss matters regarding national security312. In 2023, Perera again came under media attention after a video filmed three years prior of him and a fellow WP member having an extramarital affair was circulated online. Many considered the video’s release as a form of political attack. The video, which was reported to be filmed in 2020, circulated online at the same time when the ruling PAP also faced several scandals313. These include the already mentioned bungalow rental by two ministers, corruption involving the transportation minister S. Iswaran, and an extramarital affair between the PAP MPs, Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui. At the time of the allegation, Tan was Speaker of the Parliament, while Cheng was a constituency MP. These scandals seriously tainted the PAP’s guardedly clean image. Iswaran was arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on July 11, 2023, while Tan and Cheng resigned from their posts Yeoh, Grace. “Sylvia Lim’s Phone Not Hacked by State Agencies: Shanmugam.” CNA, 18 Feb. 2022, www. channelnewsasia.com/singapore/sylvia-lim-shanmugam-phone-hack-parliament-2506571. Sen, Ng Jun. “WP Chair Sylvia Lim Not Pursuing Alleged Hacking of Her Phone, Police to ‘Treat Matter as Closed.’” TODAY, 24 Feb. 2022, www.todayonline.com/singapore/wp-chair-sylvia-lim-not-pursuingalleged-hacking-her-phone-police-treat-matter-closed-1825756. “About Apple Threat Notifications and Protecting Against Mercenary Spyware.” Apple, support.apple.com/ en-us/102174. “Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Israeli Company QuaDream’s Spyware.” Ministry of Home Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022, www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/parliamentary/oral-reply-to-pq-on-the-israeli-companyquadreams-spyware. Chan, Ying-Kit. “Singapore’s PAP Not as Clean as It Used to Be.” Asia Times, 21 Aug. 2023, asiatimes. com/2023/08/singapores-pap-not-as-clean-as-it-used-to-be. 84

Select target paragraph3

● ● ●

Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Report

Preview

Language

English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Information Operation
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

DigitalReach

Date Published: Aug 6, 2024

Abstract: It is undeniable that information technology has significantly impacted human rights and democracy these days. Different governments around Southeast Asia continually attempt to control digital space through, for example, using repressive laws and regulations, forcing social media platforms to follow their orders, and using spyware and similar technology to surveil critics. In Southeast Asia, democracy and human rights have deteriorated because of these attempts, especially for countries under authoritarian regimes.

In order to better understand the situation, DigitalReach publishes annual reports to present and analyze the events and trends around the region. The 2023 annual report analyzes the digital rights situation in eight countries across Southeast Asia—namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam–from January 2023 to December 2023, with glimpses of key updates into 2024, given the timing of its release.

The report format has been changed completely from the previous years. In order to more systematically present the developments observed, the report is organized into three key areas: (1) Legal and Policy Developments, (2) Information Control and Manipulation, and (3) Threats Against Critics and Political Opposition.

From a regional perspective, legal and policy developments in countries that are known to restrict human rights are still mainly about using or coming up with new policies to further suppress human rights in the digital sphere. Countries considered to be more democratic also attempt to change or repeal their laws, but still without a clear sign of improvement toward digital rights.

In terms of information control and manipulation, social media platforms continue to be deployed for political ends, with different platforms serving a specific purpose for each country. The shift toward short video format, TikTok in particular, continued from 2022 to contribute toward information disorder, especially during election periods. The use of video shorts is important when targeting young voters, who played an important role in determining election results in Thailand and Indonesia this year like they did in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2022. State-sponsored cyber armies were also documented, while some governments preferred to assert more effective control of social media platforms. Other important methods related to the flow of information include suppression of media freedom and internet disruptions, which are particularly severe in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.

Judicial harassment is a key form of threat used against critics and political opposition in 2023. It is still common for people in Southeast Asia to be thrown in jail for what they say or do online. Others who do not subscribe to the government’s ideology face online harassment from state-sponsored cyber armies or government supporters. In terms of surveillance, 5 out of 8 countries included in this report have been found to have or are likely to have spyware technology.

Link: source

Primary Documents

2023-Annual-Report-FINAL-1.pdf
English
Download View