Act 22 of 2016, in force from October 1, 2016 (sections 89, 90(1) and 96(v) from October 2). Consolidated in the 2020 Revised Edition; the current version as at July 27, 2026 incorporates amendments by Act 30 of 2016, Act 5 of 2018, S 26/2022, and Act 23 of 2025 (in force June 29, 2026). See Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA, Singapore).
Long title: "An Act to establish the Info-communications Media Development Authority, and to make provision for competition and consumer protection in the media industry."
Front matter and structure captured from Singapore Statutes Online; individual provision text is served per-section on that site and is not reproduced here.
Structure
The Act's ten parts establish a statutory board and equip it with sector-regulator powers:
| Part | Subject |
|---|---|
| 1 | Preliminary |
| 2 | Establishment, functions and powers of Authority |
| 3 | Constitution of the Authority (membership, appointment, disqualification, chairperson, removal, resignation, terms) |
| 4 | Decision-making (meetings, quorum, voting, committees, delegation) |
| 5 | Personnel (Chief Executive, officers, inspecting officers, preservation of secrecy, protection from personal liability) |
| 6 | Financial provisions (revenue, Consolidated Fund payments, investment, share issue, borrowing) |
| 7 | Competition and consumer protection |
| 8 | Administration and enforcement |
| 9 | Transfer of undertakings and personnel to the Authority |
| 10 | Repeal, saving and transitional provisions, including repeal of the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act |
Competition and consumer protection
Part 7 is the substantive regulatory core, and is what the Authority's AI work operates within. It provides for codes of practice (s. 61); prohibitions on agreements preventing, restricting or distorting competition (s. 62) and on abuse of dominant position (s. 63); exemptions (s. 64); review of consolidations (s. 65); power in relation to an alternative dispute resolution scheme (s. 65A); the Authority's directions (s. 66); dispute resolution (s. 67); appeals to the Minister (s. 68); and power to disclose confidential information (s. 69).
The codes-of-practice power is the mechanism through which sector rules are made without primary legislation, which is the relevant feature for AI governance: Singapore's AI measures are issued as guidance and codes under a general converged-sector mandate rather than under a dedicated AI statute.
Enforcement
Part 8 confers powers of investigation (s. 70), power to enter premises under warrant (s. 71), retention and disposal of documents (s. 72), and protection for legally privileged material (s. 73). Offences cover enforcement obstruction (ss. 74, 76) and false or misleading information, statements or documents (s. 75), with provisions for composition of offences (s. 77) and liability of corporations (s. 78) and unincorporated associations and partnerships (s. 79). Section 81 confers the regulation-making power.
Part 5 includes a preservation of secrecy obligation on officers (s. 44) alongside protection from personal liability (s. 45).
Relationships
- supports: Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA, Singapore) — the Authority's constituting statute and the source of its regulatory powers
- related: Info-communications Media Development Authority Act 2016 (Singapore) — the legislation page tracking the statute
- related: Singapore Model AI Governance Framework for Generative AI (2024), AI Governance (umbrella)