Singapore imposes an annual levy on major news sites

Singapore’s media regulator has announced that news sites that regularly report on the city-state will have to pay an annual levy of 50,000 Singapore dollars, more than 30,000 euros. The levy may also apply to foreign sites.

The Media Development Authority of Singapore, which already has a media levy for newspapers and television stations, has criteria for the levy drafted. News sites that report about Singapore once every two weeks or attract more than 50,000 visitors per month must pay Singapore dollars 50,000 annually to the media regulator. According to Channel NewsAsia, at least ten news sites fall under the established criteria.

The levy must take effect on June 1 and, according to the regulator, is ‘fair’ because other media that are active in the city-state also have to pay it. The Media Development Authority further states that online news media from abroad that regularly write about Singapore may also have to pay the levy.

The media in Singapore is tightly controlled. For internet media, the regulator has the option to remove ‘prohibited content’, such as articles that ‘disturb religious and ethnic harmony’. News sites must do this within 24 hours of receiving a notification from the Media Development Authority. The Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization that defends press freedom, among others, has been strongly critical voiced on the levy.