Output side — a tight four-part regime · Updated 2026-04-26
Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA)
Core Point
A unified toolkit for online criminal harms — covers AI-generated scams, extortion and intimidation.
Detailed Note
Passed in 2023, OCHA gives police and prosecutors a unified toolkit for governing online criminal harms. It is particularly relevant in the AI era: AI-generated scam messages, deepfake extortion content and automated harassment can all be addressed through governance orders, takedowns, access restrictions and payment-blocking under OCHA. The Act is the foundational layer of Singapore's output-side AI governance — not AI-specific, but most AI-enabled criminal conduct falls within its scope.
Position in the Legal Framework
Permissive on training does not mean permissive on output. Deepfakes, AI-generated intimate imagery, AI-generated disinformation and election manipulation are all governed by a tight four-part legislative package — Singapore's policy hedge against "AI freedom" being abused.
Related Legal Cards
Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill
Bans deepfakes during elections: prohibits publishing "misleading, AI-generated content that purports to depict candidates' statements or conduct".
Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025
Criminalises AI-generated intimate imagery and child sexual exploitation material — production, possession and distribution are all prosecutable.
Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill 2025
Fast-track victim relief plus platform accountability — AI-abuse complaints must be acted on within 24 hours.