Back in October 2019, the Singapore government cleverly enacted a law that aims to address the issue of fake news, which Singapore (and many other countries) had to deal with and are still dealing with, especially during extraordinary circumstances such as an upcoming government event (i.e. elections, military exercises, etc.) and the situation the whole world is facing right now – the coronavirus pandemic.
Considering all these, Singapore residents are advised to limit their feed of news sources to only those coming from the government (and other official sources) to prevent miscommunication and misinformation in society.
Get Official News Straight to your Phone via Gov.Sg on WhatsApp – Here’s How to Sign Up
The good news if you’re a Singapore resident or citizen, is that the government has made it easier and simpler for everyone to access information from the government. And this can be accessed straight on your phone through an app called WhatsApp.
Why get the Gov.Sg WhatsApp Service?
For the extraordinary situation that Singapore is facing right now, the service will help you get information on COVID-19 updates (e.g case updates, updates on measures, clarifications on rumors and misinformation); government policy updates (clarifications on widespread fake news); and important government announcements (e.g. Budget, National Day Rally announcements).
How do I sign up for the WhatsApp service?
First of all, you will need to have WhatsApp installed on your mobile device if you still haven’t.
Fill out the form in this link. You will be required to provide important information such as your name, mobile number, age and language preferences.
Once you have submitted your form, you will shortly receive an acknowledgment message(s) if your sign up is successful.
It’s as simple as that. Now you can get valuable reports and insights in a timely manner straight to your phone.
Here are Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Sign-up Process for this Service:
1. I’m already subscribed to the service. How do I update my language settings?
If you wish to receive daily updates from Gov.Sg in a different language, you can resubmit your preferences at go.gov.sg/whatsapp. This will require you to fill in the same form you signed up the first time, but you will have to select the corresponding language preference you wish to use.
2. I just signed up for the service, but I didn’t get any confirmation message/s. What should I do?
Although this is a rare case, it might be a minor blip in the system. The solution for this is to try signing up again.
3. Am I allowed to sign up for someone else? (e.g. a family member)
Yes. But it’s important that you first get permission from the person you’re signing up for so that they know they will be receiving updates from Gov.sg. To do this, you simply need to fill in the form with the person’s mobile number and language preferences.
To strengthen communication efforts, the government has also activated two other channels: Telegram and Twitter, to complement the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms that have been in use by the government for the Govr the Gov.Sg service.
ALSO READ: How to Stay Connected in Singapore (Phone and Internet Tips)