Singapore has passed a contentious law to combat foreign meddling in local affairs, which critics say might be used to silence opposition.
It gives authorities the authority to order social media platforms and Internet service providers to divulge user information or to restrict content that they deem dangerous.
It will give the government powers to act against local proxies - people in Singapore that are deemed to have carried out "hostile information campaigns" on behalf of foreign entities.
The law was passed on Monday after 10 hours of heated parliamentary debate.
Singapore argues that such law is required to tackle "serious threats."
If an organization or individual's work is aimed toward a political goal, the government can classify them as "politically significant persons." As a result, they may be required to reveal their funding sources.
However, the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, generally known as FICA, has raised concerns due to its broad scope.
"Using this law, the government can... shut down viewpoints it doesn't like," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"Once again, Singapore demonstrates how little faith it has in its democracy by resorting to political measures better suited to authoritarian regimes that don't trust their people."
FICA authorizes the minister of home affairs to order investigations in the public interest to "expose hostile information campaigns" if there is a suspicion of western interference.
According to a Straits Times report, it is illegal to publish something in Singapore on behalf of a foreign entity in order to "influence a target to do something that is or is likely to be prejudicial to Singapore's interests, incite feelings of hatred or diminish public confidence in the authorities."
Appeals against the minister's decisions will be handled by an independent panel chaired by a judge, rather than in open court. The government argues that this is necessary because the subject may include sensitive intelligence with national security ramifications.
The small city-state follows countries like Russia and Australia in passing legislation to deter foreign interference in recent years.
This echoes the passage of a contentious anti-fake news law in Singapore in 2019, which provides authorities broad powers to control online platforms and even private chat groups.
