12 Purpose of Act 5. The purpose of this Act is — 5 (a) to prevent the communication of false statements of fact in Singapore and to enable measures to be taken to counteract the effects of such communication; (b) to suppress the financing, promotion and other support of online locations that repeatedly communicate false statements of fact in Singapore; 10 (c) to enable measures to be taken to detect, control and safeguard against coordinated inauthentic behaviour and other misuses of online accounts and bots; and (d) to enable measures to be taken to enhance disclosure of information concerning paid content directed towards a political end. 15 Appointment of Competent Authority 6.—(1) For the purposes of this Act, the Minister may appoint as the Competent Authority — (a) a statutory board; or 20 (b) the holder of any office in the service of Government or a statutory board. (2) The Competent Authority must give effect to the instructions of the Minister and any Minister where prescribed by this Act. PART 2 25 PROHIBITION OF COMMUNICATION OF FALSE STATEMENTS OF FACT IN SINGAPORE Communication of false statements of fact in Singapore 7.—(1) A person must not do any act in or outside Singapore in order to communicate in Singapore a statement knowing or having reason to believe that — 30 (a) it is a false statement of fact; and