Singapore has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

Singapore applies export controls on certain ICT-related goods, software, and technology under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act 2002 and the Strategic Goods (Control) Order 2025. Under Art. 5(1), a person must not export any strategic goods or transmit any strategic goods technology, unless authorised by a permit. The current control list is set out in the Strategic Goods (Control) Order 2025. Under Section 2 of the Order, the goods and technology specified in the Schedule are strategic goods and strategic goods technology for the purposes of the Act. The Schedule includes ICT-relevant dual-use categories, particularly electronics (Category 3), computers (Category 4), and telecommunications (Category 5, Part 1).
Furthermore, since March 2022, Singapore has implemented a more restrictive export-control regime regarding Russia. The measure was implemented through the Regulation of Imports and Exports (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which amended the Regulation of Imports and Exports Regulations by inserting the Eighth Schedule. This Russia-specific regime builds on the strategic goods control framework by prohibiting exports to Russia of all military goods and selected dual-use goods, including the ICT-relevant categories already covered by the Strategic Goods Control List, such as electronics, computers, and telecommunications.

Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority accepts registrations for many types of telecommunications and radio equipment, though registration is voluntary for some categories. The company filing the registration must be a local company with a valid IMDA dealer's license. Registrations are typically based on foreign standard test reports to declare conformity to IMDA's technical standards. IMDA also accepts equipment certification by local or foreign certification bodies recognised by IMDA under a phase II mutual recognition arrangement.
The Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) works closely with other international bodies on Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) to allow signatories to mutually recognise reports and certificates issued by accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) as equivalent to their own standards.

Under Section 11.3, each organisation is required to appoint one or more data protection officers to be responsible for ensuring the organisation’s compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act.

Pursuant to Section 39 of the Criminal Procedure Code, police officers investigating arrestable offences may at any time access and search the data of any computer they suspect has been used in connection with the offence. No warrant or special authorisation is needed. It is reported that the police have seized electronic devices in the course of several investigations over the past few years. Penalties for noncompliance can include a fine of up to SSGD 5,000 (approx. USD 3,700), a six-month jail term, or both.

The Electronic Transactions Act establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries for copyright infringements. According to Section 26 of the Act (introduced by the amendment of the Act within the Act 26 of 2012), any network service provider shall not be subject to any civil or criminal liability in respect of “third-party material” in the form of electronic records to which it “merely” provides access. This exemption of liability also extends to liabilities arising from data protection obligations in respect of third-party material under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012.

The Electronic Transactions Act establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries beyond copyright infringements. According to Section 26 of the Act (introduced by the amendment of the Act within the Act 26 of 2012), any network service provider shall not be subject to any civil or criminal liability in respect of “third-party material” in the form of electronic records to which it “merely” provides access. This exemption of liability also extends to liabilities arising from data protection obligations in respect of third-party material under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012.

It is reported that Singapore imposes an identity requirement for SIM registration. Anyone wanting to purchase a SIM card has to provide their national ID card or a passport in case of foreigners to activate a new prepaid SIM card. In addition, SIM cards cannot be activated without biometric identification

Under the Broadcasting Act 1994 and the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification, internet content providers and ISPs providing computer online services are automatically subject to a class licence and must comply with the Class Licence Conditions and the Internet Code of Practice. Under Condition 2A(6) of the Class Licence Conditions, an Internet Access Service Provider must, where required by IMDA in a written notice, take all reasonable steps to prevent access to content that IMDA considers undesirable, harmful or obscene. In addition, under Section 2 of the Internet Code of Practice, ISPs and internet content providers must use their best efforts to ensure that prohibited material is not broadcast via the internet to users in Singapore.

Under the Code of Practice for Online Communication Services, designated online communication service providers must take all reasonably practicable steps to prevent their services from being used for scams and malicious cyber activity offences.
Under Section A (A1–A7), providers must implement measures to quickly disrupt malicious accounts and activities, including proactive detection, user-reporting mechanisms, fast-track law enforcement channels, data retention for at least 90 days, preservation of records, and support for information and emergency data requests.
Under Section B (B1–B4), providers must deploy safeguards to prevent propagation, including account verification, additional checks for suspicious activity, strong login verification and verified-account options. Under Section C (C1), providers must submit an annual report to the competent authority on the measures implemented, emerging challenges, and effectiveness metrics.
The current designated online services include Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WeChat, WhatsApp and TikTok.

Under the Code of Practice for E-Commerce Services, designated e-commerce service providers must take all reasonably practicable steps to prevent their services from being used for scams and malicious cyber activity offences.
Under Section A (A1–A7), providers must implement measures to quickly disrupt malicious accounts and activities, including proactive detection, user-reporting mechanisms, fast-track law enforcement channels, data retention for at least 90 days, preservation of records, and support for information and emergency data requests.
Under Section B (B1–B6), providers must deploy safeguards to prevent propagation, including account verification, additional checks for suspicious activity, strong login verification, verified-account options, verification against Government-issued records for users who advertise or post goods or services for sale, and optional payment protection mechanisms requiring delivery verification before payment is released to sellers.
The current designated e-commerce services include Carousell, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Advertisements, and Facebook Business Pages.

The Code of Practice for Online Safety – App Distribution Services, in force since March 2025, requires designated app stores to implement reasonable and proactive measures to minimise users’ access to or exposure to harmful content. This includes content moderation systems and processes, app reviews and app updates, and proactive detection and removal of child sexual exploitation and abuse material and terrorism content, as technically feasible.

Singapore has used access-blocking orders under Art. 11 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA) to restrict access to online news and publication websites following non-compliance with correction directions.
It is reported that in June 2023, the Minister for Communications and Information directed the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to issue access-blocking orders against Asia Sentinel after the website failed to comply with a POFMA correction direction regarding an article published in May 2023. The blocking orders required internet access service providers to disable access to the website for users in Singapore.
In January 2025, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information similarly directed IMDA to block access to East Asia Forum after it failed to comply with a POFMA correction direction. In addition, in November 2025, access-blocking orders were also issued against Malaysia Now following non-compliance with a correction direction, with the Ministry confirming that IMDA had been directed to block access to the website for users in Singapore.

Singapore applies an individual licensing scheme for online news sites under the Online News Licensing Scheme (ONLS), based on the Broadcasting Act 1994 and the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification. Online news sites are individually licensed if they report at least one article per week on Singapore news and current affairs over a two-month period and receive at least 50,000 unique IP addresses from Singapore each month over the same period. Once the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) assesses that a site meets these criteria, it issues a formal notification requiring the site to move to the individual licensing framework. Licensed sites must provide a SGD 50,000 (approx. USD 40,000) performance bond and may be required to remove content that breaches content standards within 24 hours of a regulator's notification.

Singapore applies ex ante licensing requirements for certain digital services. For audiovisual digital services, Art. 8 of the Broadcasting Act 1994 requires licensable broadcasting services provided in or from Singapore to be licensed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), with licence terms and conditions determined by the Authority. On this basis, operators providing internet-transmitted television services, including OTT television and video-on-demand services, in or from Singapore may require a Niche Television Service Licence and must comply with the Content Code for Over-the-Top (OTT), Video-on-Demand (VOD) and Niche Services.