Try GOLD - Free
New centre to help S’pore fight online harms gets 50m funding
The Straits Times
|May 17, 2024
Service that verifies suspicious content for its users among those supported by centre
Received a dubious text message that you think could be a scam or misinformation? Run it by a new service called Checkmate, where suspicious text messages, images and online videos can be verified via a WhatsApp bot.
The service is one of several supported or developed by the new Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (Catos), which aims to help Singapore tackle online harms including hate speech, misinformation and deepfakes.
Catos comes under the Ministry of Communications and Information's Online Trust and Safety Research Programme and is hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research. It will focus on building and customising tools to detect harmful content.
The centre will receive a total of $50 million in funding over five years under the Smart Nation and Digital Economy domain of Singapore's Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan.
The amount includes a top-up of $30 million from the National Research Foundation to the initial $20 million announced in January.
The increase in funding will help the centre expand its scope to provide a sandbox, or a controlled virtual space where developers can test solutions to online harms in real-world scenarios.
This story is from the May 17, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Straits Times
The Straits Times
Philippine death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi tops 100
The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the central Philippines climbed past 100 on Nov 5 as the devastating impact on Cebu province became clearer after the worst flooding in recent memory.
2 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Parliament passes online harms Bill after more than 8 hours of debate
New agency will tackle 13 types of online harms; WP amendments voted down
4 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
US govt shutdown reaches 36 days, longest on record
Economic pain deepens as stalemate over healthcare and spending continues
4 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Aeroline coach service's suspension exposes cracks in KL transport policy
Ban on express bus pickups and drop-offs in city's downtown areas draws criticism
3 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Schools * Consider implementing a 'right to disconnect' for teachers
I refer to the article “Long hours, huge stress and VIPs (very involved parents). So what keeps a teacher in S’pore going?”, Oct 22.
1 min
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Zohran Mamdani's New York win challenges both Trump and Democrats
The first city of finance has a committed socialist at the helm of city affairs.
6 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
PEAKING RYBAKINA REMAINS PERFECT
Kazakh gaining confidence with every win as she makes it 3 out of 3 at WTA Finals
3 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Phishing for trouble: Physical bank token is no silver bullet
The latest effort to counter phishing could rattle less tech-savvy customers. It also needs a digital ecosystem to work.
6 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Kenneth Tiong apologises to Chee Hong Tat on ‘stupid question’ comment in House
Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong apologised to National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat on Nov 5 for calling his question “stupid” in Parliament.
2 mins
November 06, 2025
The Straits Times
Global financial stability risks elevated despite resilience: MAS
Singapore companies, households and banks have the financial strength to weather shocks to incomes and financing costs, but they have to remain vigilant given the highly uncertain global environment.
2 mins
November 06, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size