Internet censorship in Singapore may not be as strict as that of the Middle East. But as years pass by, the Singaporean government, through its Media Development Authority (MDA) started to implement Internet laws. Bloggers have been asked to apologize or to shut down their blogs, while others were arrested and charged with different cases particularly defamation. In October 2012, a member of Singapore National Trades Union Congress (SNTUC) was fired for his racist comments on Facebook.
As of now, the MDA has already banned around 100 websites. The list of banned websites was not revealed in public, but it includes pornography sites and Ashley Madison, an online dating service. In June 2013, street protests were held opposing the new and stricter Internet laws. Nevertheless, the country's Communications and Information said that the move is not to suppress Internet freedom. In October 2014, a law called "Remote Gambling Act" was passed to control online gambling.
In May 2014, MyRepublic, the fourth Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Singapore announced its offering of faster connection but with lower service fees. On the other hand, SingTel, StarHub and M1 have not yet announced any possibility of lowering their prices. Months later, the Singaporean government amended the Copyright Act to fight rampant Internet piracy. With this rule, anyone who would attempt to download copyrighted material will be blocked. Legitimate content users can now file a case against them.
How to Bypass Internet Censorship in Singapore
With the current situation of Internet censorship in Singapore, the best solution so far is to use VPN (Virtual Private Network). But don't worry; it's legal to use VPN in Singapore. In fact, MyRepublic offers an integrated VPN service as part of their value-add services. In case you're not aware, many businesses use VPN to protect their sensitive information. Through a VPN client, their employees can access their data even on public Wi-Fi zones, without worrying about online theft or getting hacked.
Although there are other ways to unblock sites, VPN is being considered as the best method. With a reliable VPN, like AeroShield you can browse the Internet anonymously. A new IP address will be provided to you, thus hiding your real identity and geo-location. Unlike others, your web traffic via VPN is well-encrypted. This means that almost no third party can intercept your web traffic, not even the Singaporean government. But still, not all VPNs are created equal. Just like other services, there is always a right VPN service for you.
You have two options when choosing a VPN - a free or paid service. There are many free VPNs around, and all of them promise that they can help you unblock sites in Singapore. But while it can be true, it is very much unlikely that your connection will last long. Remember that the MDA is investing a lot of money to control online activities. Do you really think a free VPN can be good enough to beat them? Plus of course, paid VPNs offer faster connection and quicker response in case of trouble.
Also make sure that your VPN service provider does not keep logs. Lastly, choose only the ones that offer the security features you need. Otherwise, you will pay for something that you did not use.
