SINGAPORE — A group of bloggers has called into question the Media Development Authority’s (MDA) ability to serve as an “effective regulator and developer of the Internet space”, citing the agency’s recent actions involving the registration of two socio-political and news commentary websites.

There should also be no more regulatory activities related to the amended Broadcasting Act until a “proper and adequate revision of the Act” has been conducted, added the group.

In a press statement, the FreeMyInternet group argued that the MDA’s requirement for The Independent and Breakfast Network to register will dampen the growth of online space and was “advised by little more than paranoia of ‘foreign funding’” since both websites had indicated publicly they did not intend to seek foreign funding.

The group, which was formed in June after the MDA imposed licensing requirements on news sites and includes prominent bloggers like Andrew Loh and Ravi Philemon, questioned why the MDA had “no such qualms” when it asked Yahoo! Singapore — an American-owned entity — to register. “This smacks of double standards and a lack of clarity in what the MDA hopes to achieve by registering websites.”

It also attacked the authority’s order for Breakfast Network to shut down its Facebook page and Twitter feed — after the company behind it had decided to shut down rather than register — although such social media accounts are owned and run by an individual, even if they may have different administrators — a practice adopted by some politicians here too.

In response, the MDA reiterated that the principle that foreign entities may not engage in Singapore politics is a long-standing one and the notice to the websites to register was to prevent local media platforms, which are “prime vehicles for political influence” from falling under foreign interests.

Both news sites did not disagree with the need to uphold this principle.

The MDA said it was willing to work with licensees on the registration process and added that its registration forms for the two sites were longer because it specifically allowed them to receive revenue from genuine foreign commercial sources.

It also reiterated that both sites were asked to register based on their mode of operation, which was through a corporate entity, and not on their content. Political entities with sites discussing political issues registered under the same provisions of the class licence framework have also continued to operate unhindered, it noted. Amir Hussain