IMDA Cancelled TOC’s Class Licence After It Refused to Provide Info About Sources of Funding

In recent years, independent news outlet The Online Citizen (TOC) has grabbed the headlines for numerous legal and online disputes.

In 2019, TOC‘s chief editor Terry Xu was sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for an article over the Oxley Road dispute. PM Lee was later awarded $210,000 in damages, which Mr Xu managed to obtain through crowdfunding.

Earlier this year, TOC got POFMA-ed after it published an article about a police officer allegedly bullying an elderly woman in Yishun.

Though it managed to survive those ordeals, it seems that TOC may now be gone for good.

In fact, if you try searching for their site, it won’t turn up on the web.

Sites & Social Media Channels Taken Down in September

It all started in September. Well, actually, it began in 2019.

See, since 2019, the Infocomm and Media Development Authority (IMDA) has reportedly tried to get TOC to provide information on all its sources of funding.

Things came to a head on 14 Sep this year when IMDA suspended TOC’s class licence and set a deadline for the 16th of Sep at 3pm for the socio-political site to declare all sources of funding.

On deadline day, however, before 3pm, TOC’s site and all its social media channels were taken offline.

Some expected the site and social media channels to come back online, but it doesn’t seem like this will happen.

IMDA Cancelled TOC’s Class Licence After It Refused to Provide Info About Sources of Funding

Today (15 Oct), IMDA cancelled TOC‘s class licence due to its refusal to provide information about its sources of funding.

IMDA explained that Internet content providers (ICPs) which promote or discuss political issues relating to Singapore online – such as TOC – are required to be transparent about their sources of funding.

This is to prevent foreign influence or foreign funding of such sites, and more importantly, to ensure there is no foreign influence in domestic politics, it said.

Now, if TOC operates any licensable broadcasting services, it will be an offence. 

Chief Editor Plans to File Judicial Review For Social Media Channels

Interestingly, Mr Xu previously said that in 2014, the then Media Development Authority had “clearly stated that the licensing is for the purpose of the website and there had been no mention of the social media platforms”.

This is why he’s planning to file a judicial review against IMDA’s order for TOC to suspend its social media platforms.

He added that IMDA “cannot reasonably expect TOC to cease all its operations outside of Singapore just because it has suspended the class license that it granted for the purpose of operation in Singapore.”

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Featured Image: Facebook (The Online Citizen Asia)